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.

Will Protests in Morocco Lead to Meaningful Change?

The wave of protests against King Mohammed VI in Morocco are unlikely to succeed.

Dina Boluarte and Democratic Backsliding in Peru

Dina Boluarte continues the legacy of anti-democratic presidents in Peru.

Democratic Erosion: India and the U.S.

Democratic Erosion in the United States and India Intro From 2024-2025, India’s democratic erosion is deeper because of opaque party finance, and because pressures on civil society have made political competition less fair and accountability harder to enforce....

Democratic Means to Undemocratic Ends – How Donald Trump is Weaponizing Democracy for His Own Gain

Oct 18, 2025 | Arizona State University

Modern autocratization is often marked by executive leaders weaponizing the legal system of the democratic country they were elected to lead. It allows for an easy way of...

Shaking Up Democracy: Is Mexico’s 2024 Judicial Reform Democratic Backsliding?

Sep 22, 2025 | Arizona State University

Judicial Reform in Mexico June 1, 2025, marked a landmark institutional shift in Mexico. For the first time in the country’s history, it held elections to select all aspects...

How the European Union Facilitates Democratic Erosion At Home

Dec 5, 2024 | Brown University

Protecting and fostering democracy has been a cornerstone of the European Union project since its founding. Yet the recent rise of antidemocratic regimes in countries like Poland and Hungary has...

Can “Asia’s Trump” Make a Political Comeback?

Dec 5, 2024 | Brown University

He used methods of intimidation and subverted the rule of law to attack his political enemies. He played the “strong man” to weaken institutional mechanisms and checks against his authority. He...

Democratic Erosion is Exactly What Hungarians Wanted

Dec 5, 2024 | Brown University

Since 2010, Hungary has had the same leader - far-right populist Viktor Orban. He rose in popularity in the late 1980s after he called on the Soviet Red Army to “go home.” He empowered Hungarians to...

Cash for Votes: How Pervasive Clientelism Undermines India’s Democracy

Dec 4, 2024 | Brown University

“All elected leaders buy votes. Even children know that” (NPR). This is how governance in India is viewed by many of its citizens: a system that is democratic in name, with duly elected leaders, but...

What can the Balon D’or tell us about Democratic Erosion?

Dec 4, 2024 | Brown University

Unforgettable robbery! Corruption! Undeserved! Are these comments from the recent US Presidential Election? No, they are reactions to the announcement of the most important individual award in the...

Looking Local: Why the Rise of School Takeovers Threaten American Democracy

Dec 4, 2024 | Brown University

The 2024 election and the rise of Trump have sparked concern on the Left over the state of democracy in the United States and the consolidation of power under the incoming administration. This...

Fake News For Profit: The Disinformation Goldrush

Dec 3, 2024 | Brown University

As the 2016 US Presidential election approached, ‘fake news’ surged across the internet, with hundreds of pro-Trump websites shared by millions of people. At least 100 of these sites have been...

Could the 2017 burning of Congress in Paraguay have led to the end years of Colorado Party dominance?

Nov 8, 2024 | Ohio State University

On March 31st, 2017, protesters set fire to the Paraguayan Congress, dismantling fences, clashing with riot police, and storming the legislative chambers, venting anger at what they saw as an attack...

The Unpaved Road Of Guatemala’s Democracy

Nov 5, 2024 | Ohio State University

The road to democracy for Guatemala was rocky and has remained just as unpaved since. Guatemala has a unique political history, with civil wars, hope for peace, and relentless relapses. Through this...