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 are student blog posts written by student participants in the Democratic Erosion Course. These posts were not written by nor represent the views of the Democratic Erosion Consortium.

Food Security is Rooted Abroad

Global fertilizer supply chains connect geopolitical events abroad to food production at home in ways most consumers don’t see.

The Meaning of Silence : What the moment of silence for Melissa Hortman says about American democracy

On June 14, 2025, the lives of Melissa Hortman who was a House speaker in Minnesota and her husband Mark were taken in what authorities believe to be a politically motivated act of violence. The same day Senator John Hoffman and his wife were also shot and...

Buying Injustice: The Hidden Harms of this Act.

Are we looking to create a thriving society, or are we allowing fear into the lives of immigrant families? As new immigration policies appear, the question become, how do we prevent the changes that involve separating families and dismantling the place that...

Presidential Immunity’s Weakening Impact on U.S. Checks and Balances

Sep 13, 2024 | Ohio State University

The United States was founded on the idea of checks and balances and no one branch of government becoming more powerful than another. This is meant to keep the country from...

Absence of a Primary in the U.S. 2024 Democratic Nomination: An Act of Democratic Erosion

Sep 13, 2024 | Ohio State University

In democracies, political parties play a crucial role in representing the will of the people by allowing voters to select their preferred leaders through competitive...

How the Trump Administration is Eroding American Democracy

Mar 17, 2020 | Georgia State University

America has long been thought of by much of the world, and certainly by Americans, as the highest example of liberal democracy, a state governed by its people with overriding emphasis on individual...

The Disappointment of George Weah

Mar 13, 2020 | American University

The 2017 Liberian Presidential election had all the trappings of a major step in the process of democratization, but instead opened a period of democratic decay and tyranny. Since the end of the...

Bernie Sanders: Modern Day Robin Hood

Mar 10, 2020 | Suffolk University

Recently, Bernie Sanders held a rally in the Boston Commons to promote his presidential campaign in which he addressed issues such as affordable housing, healthcare, and childcare. Yet how can the...

Feeling the Bern

Mar 6, 2020 | Suffolk University

Drawing crowds over thirteen thousand people, Bernie Sanders entertained a lot of people. This was very first experience at a rally for a presidential candidate and I will never forget it. I felt...

Are Americans okay with a lack of universal healthcare? The ones that are not are getting out and voting.

Mar 5, 2020 | Suffolk University

A lack of universal healthcare looks different to every American. For some, it means skipping doctor appointments routine check-ups. For others, it means ignoring medical help when its an urgency,...

Ever Been to a Political Rally? Me Neither, Until Now.

Mar 5, 2020 | Suffolk University

Senator Bernie Sanders held a local stop on his campaign trail in Boston, at the Boston Commons. Attracting over 13,000 people, old and young, to show their support for the leading Democratic...

Here’s how Greenovate is taking on Climate Change in the City of Boston

Mar 5, 2020 | Suffolk University

The City of Boston is dealing with a plethora of issues and one of them is climate change. How does the city intend to fight the prospects of climate change that will harm our most vulnerable...

Bernie Sanders: Is Youth Support Enough to Win the Democratic Nomination?

Mar 5, 2020 | Suffolk University

Democratic Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders recently hosted a rally in Boston, Massachusetts this past Saturday, in which a significant crowd of over 13,000 people showed up to support. Known...