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.

Ordinary Americans rescue democracy

Do Americans have what it takes to save democracy? Irrefutably, the answer is yes. The second Trump administration has engaged in a variety of measures to steamroll the opposition. Abetted by a subservient Republican party, empowered by a complacent Supreme Court,...

President Trump Attacks News Agencies Through Legal Means

President Trump has been attacking our democracy through legal means by suing news agencies and journalist.

Epstein’s Files Are More Than Files, They Are A Signal Of Democratic Erosion

In a June 2024 Fox News interview, then presidential candidate Donald Trump claimed that when in office, he would support the release of the full Epstein files. These files pertain to convicted sex trafficker Jefferey Epstein. Epstein was a financier who pleaded...

Israel, A Democracy?

Feb 13, 2026 | Boston University

Israel is frequently described as “the only democracy in the Middle East,” yet when evaluated through the lens of democratic theory, this claim is quite absurd. Israel...

Enemies of Italy: How does Giorgia Meloni Threaten Democracy in Italy?

Feb 13, 2026 | Boston University

As tensions rise in Italy with a recent security decree and protests against the Winter Olympic Games, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni continues to reveal the potential...

Creating a Unified Front: Combating Trump’s Immigration Policies

Apr 18, 2025 | Boston University

A video published by the Associated Press News on April 16, 2025, shows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents surround the car of Juan Francisco Mendez, a Guatemalan man who had...

Trump Cracks Down on Campus Dissent

Apr 18, 2025 | Boston University

Since Trump’s reelection, his administration has waged a series of attacks on pro-Palestinian campus protests, most notably at Harvard and Columbia. In freezing the federal funding of universities...

Media and Democracy In India: How Media Repression Is Linked to Polarization

Apr 18, 2025 | Boston University

In early January of 2025, freelance journalist Mukesh Chandrakar was found murderered in Bijapur, a district within Chhattisgarh, India. His body was found in a septic tank shortly after he was on...

The Destruction of one of the Last Guardrails of Democracy in Venezuela

Apr 18, 2025 | Boston University

On January 10th, 2025, Nicolás Maduro was inaugurated to serve his third consecutive term as the president of Venezuela. This confirmed the results of the presidential election, which took place in...

Peaceful Protesting: A Valiant Effort Against the Trump Administration

Apr 18, 2025 | Boston University

Photo by: AP News In the past weeks, protests have been happening all around the United States every single day. These protests are being organized for...

Protesting for Democracy: What April 5 Says About America’s Political Crisis

Apr 18, 2025 | Boston University

On April 5, 2025, thousands of protestors participated in the ‘Hands Off!’ rallies that took place across all 50 states. The peaceful protests were organized by over 150 labor unions, LGBTQ+...

The Implications and Motivations for Trump’s Tariffs on EU Trade

Apr 18, 2025 | Boston University

In early 2025, President Donald Trump announced the imposition of a 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum imports from the European Union, citing concerns over trade imbalances and national...

Nayib Bukele and the Quiet Dismantling of Salvadoran Democracy

Apr 18, 2025 | Boston University

Nayib Bukele has become one of the most infamous populist leaders in Latin America, winning international praise for his aggressive anti-gang policies and his unapologetic, millennial persona. But...

Trump Targets Former CISA Director

Apr 18, 2025 | Boston University

On April 9, 2025, Donald Trump issued a presidential memorandum titled “Addressing Risks from Chris Krebs and Government Censorship.” The memo claimed that Chris Krebs “is a significant bad-faith...