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.

Democratic Erosion Within the United States Under the Trump Administration

An article by The Washington Post reports an increase in election-related lawsuits as the 2026 midterms approach. A reason behind this increase in lawsuits is partially due to President Donald Trump's aggressive push for changes to mail-in ballots. While this change...
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When Formal Institutions Are Not Enough

In 2026, the Supreme Court allowed President Trump to fire the Federal Trade Commissioner (FTC), overturning a major restraint on presidential power. By a vote of 6-3, the justices struck down a federal law that bars the president from firing members of the FTC except...
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Kosovo’s Democratic Test: The Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) Verdicts

On September 16, 2026, the Kosovo Specialist Chamber in The Hague found former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi and former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) – Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi- guilty of war crimes, including arbitrary detention,...
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