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 loss of trust in the MAGA movement by young conservatives

According to several news outlets, the March 25-28 Conservative Political Action Conference, more commonly known as CPAC, was poorly attended by the younger conservatives who had come in large numbers in the past. The New York Times notes for example that “youths...
Read More

Why Peaceful Protesting Won’t Save American Democracy Anytime Soon

On March 28, 2026, hundreds of thousands of Americans took to the streets under the “No Kings” banner in protest of the current Trump Administration. The crowds were incredibly peaceful, and the energy and passion brought from the protestors were incredibly inspiring...
Read More

Italy’s Nationalism: A History of Italian Populism

The rise of populism is not a new topic. Across the world, populist leaders are being elected as right-wing parties are taking control in some of the most powerful countries in the world: United States of America, Germany, France, Netherlands, Argentina, among others....
Read More