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...

The New Future of Warfare? How Social Media is Inflating Tensions Between the U.S. and Iran.

Social media is moving to the forefront of the ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran, with political elites from both sides of the conflict using social media as a weapon to fabricate narratives and generate AI videos to publicly denounce the actions of one...

Foreign Interference: Is Iran Running the 2024 Election, What does this mean for America’s Democracy?

Sep 13, 2024 | Ohio State University

As America reaches election day in November, the 2024 presidential race has been found to be a topic of the utmost importance to not only Americans but foreign actors. As...

Does the State of US Media Mean We Are in Democratic Free-fall? No, Not Really.

Sep 12, 2024 | Ohio State University

The environment around US media has shifted dramatically over the last decade. Independence in US journalism has been a source of pride and confidence to the US people, but...

Democratic Institutions at Risk as a Constitutional Crisis Grips El Salvador

Feb 12, 2020 | Boston University

President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador occupied the legislative chamber with dozens of military officers Sunday, in a show of military power. These actions threatened the separation of powers in the...

Political Apathy and Us: How a Culture of Disinformation is Corroding Democracy

Feb 12, 2020 | Georgia State University

Everywhere you turn, the headlines are waiting. Politicians are turning to social media to appeal to voters at an accelerating rate. While this allows voters to connect and engage with their...

The Iowa Caucus Causes Concerns in Election Legitimacy

Feb 12, 2020 | Boston University

The Iowa Caucus on February 4, 2020, encountered some technical issues causing concern over whether the results are accurate or not. There has been a request for a recanvass and if that recanvass...

How Trump’s Recurrent Invalidating Rhetoric is Derailing Democracy

Feb 12, 2020 | Boston University

You’ve heard it in the headlines, on social media, and maybe even from the mouths of your friends -- “Trump’s rhetoric is dangerous.” But what mechanisms does polarizing language actually trigger,...

Are Boris Johnson’s Actions Surrounding Brexit a Cause for Worry?

Feb 12, 2020 | Boston University

An attack on the freedom of the press and can easily be seen as an attack on democracy. Of the many key features of truly democratic countries, freedom of the press is often viewed as essential. In...

Democratic Erosion in India: The World’s Largest Democracy No More?

Feb 12, 2020 | Boston University

India is considered by most to be the world’s largest democracy with a voting population of about 900 million people; however, since the election of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister in 2014, there...

Wilted Democratization in the Persian Gulf: Iraq

Feb 12, 2020 | Boston University

by Nick Haller The Persian Gulf has been a region of intense western scrutiny over the past half century. With the once Westernized cultures of populations in Iraq reverting to landscapes closely...

Is India Turning into an Authoritarian State?

Feb 11, 2020 | Georgia State University

Even though India has had an established constitution for over seventy years which should protect all its citizens with inalienable rights, a most recent bill has been pushed and can be seen as an...

Voting Through Self-Interest is a Primary Driver of Democratic Erosion

Feb 11, 2020 | Boston University

I am an American citizen, white, straight and male. All of these factors would, by any metric, make me more predisposed to expressing my political values through a generally more conservative lens....