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.

Democratic Erosion in Poland’s Judicial Reform

Poland is actively making corrupt efforts to silence those who muster the courage to speak out. In late 2019, the Polish Sejm approved a new law, the muzzle law, that is aimed towards taking complete governmental control of the judiciary’s structure and inner...

Ignoring the Referee: Court Defiance and America’s Last Guardrail

Democracies don’t usually die in a single dramatic moment. They erode quietly and gradually, through a thousand small surrenders. But occasionally, a government does something so blunt that it forces everyone to pay attention. In early 2025, the Trump administration...

The Democratic Unraveling of Hungary

Slovakia’s Decision to Deter Immigrants from Entering the Country and Its Connection to Populism

Nov 15, 2023 | Salem State University

On October 30, 2023, the newly appointed Slovak government deployed police and armed forces to the border it shares with Hungary. This deployment came after Prime Minister...

How a Third Wave of Autocratization Has Impacted Montenegro

Nov 9, 2023 | Salem State University

On October 30th, the Montenegrin parliament voted for a new government after months of political tension. This tension started in June when “Europe Now”, a centrist party...

Erdogan’s Usage of Explicit and Subtle Authoritarian Control by Charlotte Bairey

Apr 26, 2019 | University of Chicago

The recent upholding of a Turkish court’s decision to convict dissenting journalists demonstrates that, in the case of Turkey, the use of explicitly anti-democratic politics is woven in with a...

President Magufuli Could Wipe Out an Already Flawed Democracy in Tanzania by Kalif Robinson

Apr 26, 2019 | Georgetown University

Tanzania’s flawed democracy is turning into a brutal dictatorship. In 2015, President of Tanzania John Magufuli rode into power on a populist wave fueled by people’s dissatisfaction with corruption....

How students feel about Trump?

Apr 26, 2019 | Georgia State University

On Thursday February 28th, I attended a meeting by a Georgia State organization called Realize. The organization is a comfort zone for students to be able to voice their opinions without being...

Polluting the Polity: Is an Informed Citizenry Essential to Democracy? by Kenneth Coleman

Apr 26, 2019 | University of Chicago

Muller posits that, in order to hold an accountable government, "it is crucial that citizens be well informed about politics" [1]. There is a common sense truth to this statement. A democracy is,...

America, Disenfranchised: How the Electoral College Has Failed the United States

Apr 26, 2019 | Sacramento State University

By Aaron Walters There is no doubt that recent phenomenon in the United States have fostered a greater degree of institutional reflection in which the general public is now blatantly aware that the...

Egypt: Why Democracy is More Than the Right to Vote by Justin Saint-Loubert-Bie

Apr 25, 2019 | University of Chicago

The Egyptian people ratified constitutional amendments significantly expanding President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s power in an April referendum. The vote, which closed on April 22, left el-Sisi with...

A Fine Day to Lobby by Cherish Dunk

Apr 25, 2019 | Georgia State University

On a cold Thursday, I went to the City Capitol building in downtown Atlanta, wanting to contribute not knowing what to expect I was a bit nervous, however after meeting with the Georgia Shift...

Reflections at McDonough City Hall by Zachary Thomas

Apr 25, 2019 | Georgia State University

On Monday, March 18, 2019, I had the opportunity to attend the McDonough City Council Meeting at McDonough City Hall in McDonough, Georgia. While there, I was able to learn about the issues that...

“Behind the Scenes” of my Town (City Council Meeting) by Sommer Garmon

Apr 25, 2019 | Georgia State University

I sat in my town’s City Hall building, not really sure what to expect, as I had never attended any sort of political event. I was the first to show up, so I questioned if I was even in the right...