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...

Sword of Justice or Shield for Criminality? Navigating Anti-Corruption in India’s Democracy

Jun 24, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Political power, a vital yet oftentimes insidious force, corrupts even the most representative of political parties. However, democratic institutions are our greatest...

Thailand after “Thaksinocracy”: Treading through tenacious turmoil of Thai politics post-Thaksin

Jun 21, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Divide and conquer – it is the ultimate strategy to bring downfall to a rather mighty opponent. Empires past have fallen to the same tactic; facing their ruin fragmented,...

How Does Women’s Political Participation Affect Democracy?

Oct 27, 2019 | University of Memphis

The political event I attended related to how sex shapes governance in the world, but I particularly focused on the United States and how women were involved in politics. From the colonial period,...

Elections Are Coming

Oct 27, 2019 | University of Memphis

The school district in my county has been a ripe source of conflict as of late. The district is predominantly failing, with the exception of one or two upper class predominately white schools. The...

Climate Change, Performance, and Soft Democratic Breakdown

Oct 27, 2019 | University of Memphis

My event related to global democracy is best described as a relatively small part of a large movement. Namely, the Memphis portion of the Global Climate Strike, which kicked off on September 20th...

Democratic Town Hall on LGBTQ Rights: Real Possibilities or a Bunch of Boloney?

Oct 27, 2019 | University of Memphis

Source: CNN During Friday Follies, Fox News Laura Ingraham describes the Democratic town hall on LGBTQ rights from the previous night as an event of shameless pandering by Democrats to the social...

Will International Trade Affect the United States Democracy?

Oct 26, 2019 | University of Memphis

International Trade regarding United States Democracy There is nothing new that China plays a huge role with the United States when it comes to World Trade. There is still struggle when it comes to...

Definitely No Deal for Brexit?

Oct 26, 2019 | Salem State University

Finally, the deadline for Brexit is approaching, and time is running out for the UK and the European Union to come to terms with a deal to smoothly transition. The probability of such a deal...

Playing Nice

Oct 24, 2019 | University of Memphis

Show Me What Democracy Looks Like Republicans and Democrats are gravitating away from the center, but Republicans are moving farther faster. It is hard to point a finger like this and still come...

The Democratic and Geopolitical Repercussions of US Withdrawal from Syria

Oct 23, 2019 | Salem State University

The departure of US forces from Syria serves as a capitulation to authoritarian forces and as a death knell to any hope of democratic peace brokering. President Trump’s decision to withdraw US...

Why Is Hong Kong More Important than Jakarta?

Oct 18, 2019 | Salem State University

Does America's political position in the world alter US media? Do current events have to serve a particular political agenda in order to be reported in the U.S? The coverage or lack there of,...