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 Backsliding: Be Observant

Setting the Stage for Autocracy Democratic backsliding is nothing if not the gradual death of democracy. Democracy is eroded through incremental steps taken by the dominant political party to consolidate power into their own hands. The specific means of doing this is...

Propaganda, The Iran War, and Democratic Erosion

The U.S. response to the Iran conflict demonstrates how propaganda and narrative manipulation transform foreign policy into a domestic political tool, contributing to democratic erosion by undermining informed citizenship, weakening accountability, and expanding...

Israel’s Nation-State Law and the Fight Over Belonging

Israel’s Nation-State Law and the Fight Over Belonging Every democracy is based on a single premise: equality. That is why Israel’s 2018 Nation-State Law matters. In July 2018, the Israeli Knesset passed Basic Law: Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People, also...

Podcasters Gone Rogue: MAGA “Soft-liners” Reveal Themselves

Apr 17, 2026 | Boston University

As the United States and Iran come to a tentative ceasefire, President Trump and former MAGA podcasters can’t seem to do the same. The Make America Great Again, or “MAGA”...

Trump vs. the Federal Reserve

Apr 17, 2026 | Boston University

Democratic erosion doesn’t happen suddenly, or even in the form of coups anymore; instead, it occurs through the gradual, internal erosion of institutions. Ozan Varol coined...

Executive Power: The Growing Threat to Democracy

Apr 23, 2025 | University of Memphis

Executive Power: The Growing Threat to Democracy We have learned about it, and if you are a citizen of the United States of America, you have lived in it all your life. When it comes to democracy,...

Will the Measles Outbreak turn into Another Pandemic Similar to Covid-19?

Apr 21, 2025 | University of Memphis

Will the measles outbreak turn into another pandemic similar to Covid-19? We all remember how Covid-19 shut the world down. It affected every facet of our lives. If the measles outbreak leads to...

Is Trump Tariff-en off Congress?

Apr 21, 2025 | Boston University

When the United States Constitution was created, the founders were wary of an overly powerful executive branch. To avoid the possibility of a future president overstepping their power, they baked in...

Demagogues: Turning America into the Child Left Behind

Apr 20, 2025 | University of Memphis

Image Source: Getty Images/ABC News The loud, proud American trope has been a stereotype that Americans have worn proudly on their sleeves. This image, both a source of laughter and slight fear, has...

Americas Political Polarization Problem

Apr 20, 2025 | Boston University

Polarization in the United States no longer serves democracy, but instead serves as a tool for those in power. Instead of increasing political polarization and allowing diverse opinions in politics,...

Germany’s Defense of Democracy

Apr 20, 2025 | University of Memphis, Featured

With the recent elections in Germany, there is a clear growth in favor of populist leaders. The election saw record-breaking voter turnout, with 82.5% of eligible voters participating. This is a...

Trump’s Evolved Form of Populism Works… and Hurts.

Apr 20, 2025 | University of Memphis

Trump has been called a populist since his initial campaign in 2016, with his ideas being mostly the same over the years: dismantle the Department of Education, impose tariffs on Mexico and China,...

The Judicial Branch’s Downfall

Apr 20, 2025 | University of Memphis

The Judicial branch has power and control over translating and applying our laws in the court system. The purpose of having three separate branches is to preserve an equal and fair democracy in the...

Israel’s Judicial Reforms: A Potential Danger to Democracy?

Apr 20, 2025 | University of Memphis

Israel's Judicial Reforms: A Potential Danger to Democracy? In 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration put forward extensive judicial reforms aimed at significantly...