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...

The Lack of Humanitarian Aid in Haiti

Apr 21, 2024 | Ursinus College

Haiti is currently facing a political and social crisis. The rest of the world has fallen silent in terms of providing necessary aid and military action to help the victims...

Corruption, Economics, and Catastrophe: Democratic Erosion in Brazil

Apr 19, 2024 | William Jewell College

Today in Brazil, corruption charges could undermine democracy. While the democracy holds competitive elections and sits on a 72% "free" scale, the country holds high when it...

Newton’s Third Law: Populism and Democracy by Selena Spencer

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

Populism as the equal and opposite reaction to American Democracy. Internationally populists and the populism are seen as generally undemocratic. The term populist itself is so broad it can...

Deliberately Missing the Point: How Russia’s Electoral Institutions Aid in Vote Manipulation, by Matthew Sparks

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

On paper, at least, Russia has all of the necessary institutions of a functioning liberal democracy, with regular elections and even bodies specifically devoted to overseeing the election process....

New Legislation Attempts to Regulate “Fake-News” in Singapore by Clara Fong

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

Singapore’s newly proposed anti-fake news legislation, The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill, follows in the footsteps of several countries, such as France passing a law last...

The Populist Threat to the European Union

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

The European Union is often regarded as one of democracy’s largest triumphs. But as countries all over Europe face an increasingly threatening movement from the extreme right, should we be worried...

Questioning the Validity of the Immigration National Emergency by Leon Chin

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

There are currently 32 active national emergencies in effect in the United States. Most of those 32 active national emergencies are to continue imposing sanctions on various foreign entities....

Felon Disenfranchisement and the Implementation of Amendment 4 in Florida by Sammy Elmasri

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

Last November, 64.6 percent of Florida voters voted in favor of Amendment 4, which restores voting rights for felons “who have completed all terms of their sentence, including parole or probation,”...

Partisan Justice by Thomas Martino

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

Tolerant Democracy American democracy is built upon the preposition that the political opposition is not the enemy. In their book How Democracies Die, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt describe...

What Happens When Norms Are Eroded with Popular Support? by Carter Squires

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

In How Democracies Die, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt spend Chapter 6 assessing norms in American politics. In particular, they characterize norms as unwritten rules which mediate, "The...

Will India Re-elect a Potential Authoritarian Leader? An Analysis of Modi’s Authoritarian Behavior by Julia Fischer

Apr 22, 2019 | University of Chicago

In the world’s largest democracy, India, a five-week election is currently underway to determine the next lower house of Parliament. In this country where 900 million people are eligible to vote,...