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...

Media Repression in Mexico: Why Mexico is the Deadliest Country to be a Journalist

Nov 22, 2023 | University of Memphis

Media repression threatens the civil liberties of the public and journalists. Freedom of the press is an important right that should be protected for anyone seeking a career...

Gridlock From Polarization: The Current State of the United States Government

Nov 22, 2023 | Northeastern University

What is gridlock and polarization? Political theorist, Jennifer McCoy, defines polarization as, “a process whereby the normal multiplicity of differences in a society...

Corruption and Constitutional Retrogression In Israel by H. Upchurch

Mar 5, 2019 | American University

At the end of February, Benjamin Netanyahu drew condemnations from all over the world for a deal that would bring a Kahanist party into the Knesset if his coalition prevails in the coming...

Authoritarians Fight to the Death by Gwenyth Szabo

Mar 4, 2019 | American University

Authoritarians do not just cling to power, they fight for it until their very last breath. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is one of the many authoritarians currently ruling, and with elections...

Citizens Bring Controversial Issues to the Columbia City Council by Isa Colyer

Mar 3, 2019 | Saint Louis University

A defining feature of local democracies is that these smaller units of government can allow for more direct participation by the public. In Columbia, Missouri, each of the city council’s monthly...

Checks and Balances at the Local Level: Board of Adjustment Meeting by Olivia Kesselring

Feb 28, 2019 | Saint Louis University

On February 20th, 2018, I attended a Board of Adjustment meeting for the City of St. Louis, Missouri. The board is a part of the Building Division of city government, and hears appeals for any...

President of the Board of Alderman Debate: The Wake Up by Taylor Williams

Feb 28, 2019 | Saint Louis University

Recently, the Board of Alderman of Saint Louis hosted a debate at Harris-Stowe State Universityin the Henry Givens...

Big and small issues converge at local city council meeting by John Barrett

Feb 28, 2019 | Saint Louis University

On Monday, February 11th, citizens of a St. Louis suburb braved the cold temperatures and sleeting weather to voice their concerns on the state of affairs within their own community. In hoping to...

Woman March 2019 by Susmitha Chinni

Feb 28, 2019 | Saint Louis University

Going to a women’s march on a frigid mid-west winter day is the last thing one would want to do. So why would hundreds of women march down the streets of St. Louis despite the cold? Because the St....

Lessons in Democracy from Local Government by Caleb Logan

Feb 28, 2019 | Saint Louis University

On Tuesday, February 12, I attended the Maplewood City Council meeting. The City Council meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month in the Maplewood City Hall in Maplewood, Missouri. The...

Missouri’s Master Manipulators Amending Election Results, Again by Paige Cook

Feb 28, 2019 | Saint Louis University

When discussing democracy, it is often referred to in the national or international sense, more specifically, in the notion of an entire governmental system. The theory of democracy brings about...