Democratic Erosion University Course Student Blog

Students enrolled in our course are encouraged to write for the course blog, and to read and comment on posts from students at other participating universities. The blog offers students the opportunity to analyze current events through the lens of the theory and case studies they engage with through the course.

These blogs reflect the views of the student authors, and not those of the Democratic Erosion Consortium.

The SAVE Act, Voter Suppression, and Erosion in the US

Conservatives are championing the SAVE Act as a way to combat voter fraud, but what about when it enforces voter suppression?

Hungary: A Case Study of Democratic Backsliding in the European Union

Hungary’s gradual democratic backsliding under Viktor Orbán demonstrates how legal reforms, centralized executive power, and weakened institutional checks can erode democracy from within, turning a once-promising post-communist transition into a partially free, delegative system

How Pakistans Government has Backslided Further since Imran Khan’s arrest

Democratic erosion is a gradual process that has been an ongoing process in Pakistan. While the country still holds elections and operates under the 1973 constitution, the quality of the democracy has weakened especially since Imran Khan, the former prime minister,...

Legal but Corrosive: Trump’s Plan to Withdraw the U.S. From Several International Organizations

Feb 12, 2026 | Boston University

At the start of this calendar year, rumors started circulating in the White House that President Trump aims to withdraw the U.S. from 66 International Organizations. Many of...

The Illusion of Elections: How Authoritarian Power Undermines Democratic Legitimacy in Myanmar

Jan 10, 2026 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Democracy is often framed as a straightforward process in which citizens elect their leaders and political authority reflects popular will. Yet the presence of elections...

Serbian Protests: Unrest or Backsliding?

Apr 16, 2025 | Boston University

Serbia has seen a wave of student protests over the last four months due to the deadly train station collapse in Novi Sad that has now claimed the lives of 16 people. The collapse comes after recent...

Prosperity Does Not Equal Democracy: Economic Inequality and Democratic Erosion

Apr 15, 2025 | Boston University

The United States is rich. In fact, almost ridiculously so; to illustrate, according to the IMF’s World Economic Outlook for 2025, the U.S. sits proudly at the apex of worldwide rankings, with an...

The Disbandment of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party: An Example of Authoritarian Consolidation

Apr 13, 2025 | Boston University

On April 13th, 2025, Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy party, the Democratic Party, voted to begin dissolving itself. Over 90% of the party’s remaining members backed the decision. This wasn't just...

Why Estonia’s decision to disenfranchise non-EU citizens is doing more harm than good

Apr 9, 2025 | Tartu University

On the 26 of March, the Estonian parliament (the Riigikogu) passed a constitutional amendment to remove the rights to vote in local elections for non-EU residents (Kangro, 2025). This was sparked by...

Democratic Backsliding or Payback to the Democrats? Unpacking Yoon’s Presidency in South Korea

Apr 8, 2025 | Tartu University

In April 2025, South Korea’s Constitutional Court unanimously confirmed the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, officially removing him from office after he attempted to impose martial law on...

Ballots and Bullets: How Political Violence Is Undermining Democracy in Mexico

Apr 7, 2025 | Tartu University

Ballots and Bullets: How Political Violence Is Undermining Democracy in Mexico In 2024, Mexico held one of the largest and most consequential elections in its recent history—electing over 20,000...

Anti-Government Protests and Democratic Erosion in Slovakia

Apr 7, 2025 | Tartu University

Anti-Government Protests and Democratic Erosion in Slovakia In its 2025 report, Transparency International highlighted Slovakia as a "country to watch”, noting that the reforms implemented by Prime...

Punished for Protest: International Students Detained for Opposing the Genocide in Gaza

Apr 5, 2025 | Boston University

On March 9th, Mahmoud Khalil was detained in his apartment in New York. President Trump claimed at the beginning of his term that he would ensure the investigation and detainment of international...

How far is too far for South Korea’s presidential pardons?

Apr 2, 2025 | The University of Alabama

On December 3, 2024, at 10:50 P.M., South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol held an emergency address to the nation. Yoon vowed he would protect his country from communists and pro-North Korea...