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.

A Green Card Once Meant Protection: Now it is Fear

A Green Card Once Meant Protection: Now it is Fear By Fotios E. Meimeteas Imagine you are a single mother in the United States, raising four children who depend on you. You have established a new life, built a home, paid taxes, and lived in the United States for...

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...

Partisanship and it’s Problematic Implications

Nov 21, 2023 | University of Memphis

We seem to see partisanship growing more and more around us and in turn, mutual understanding seems to be regressing. After all, why would one trust and try to act in good...

Poland’s Democratic Resurgence: A Beacon of Hope Amidst Global Backsliding

Nov 21, 2023 | Northeastern University

After years of a shift towards autocracy, Poland’s democracy is making an appearance once again. Even though there seems to be a worrying trend of increased democratic...

Art, Identity, and Activism: Cornel West MLK Keynote Speech by Natalie Ma

Feb 7, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

“Don’t reduce my calling to a career. I had a vocation. Not just a profession. I had a life task,” Dr. Cornel West boldly declared, quoting Martin Luther King Jr.’s words to a rapt audience. On...

Who has the real power? by Manny Sodhi

Feb 7, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

When I sat down to watch this documentary, I was completely unaware of the existence of the events it addresses. As the documentary went on, I was intrigued by the series of events that were...

Considering the Retirement Funds for a City by Amanda Han

Feb 7, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

On the morning of January 30th, Soeun Yoon and I visited the City Hall of Providence. It was 10:30 a.m. on a Wednesday morning, and the Board of the Employees' Retirement System was holding their...

Building Civic Engagement For Protest by Nina Gregg

Feb 6, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

The connection between the government and it’s residents has to change, and it is. From political performance art of Ai WeiWei, or the Women’s March, to voting in a midterm election, people are...

Yellow Vest Protests in France by Joe Bodnar

Feb 6, 2019 | American University

The Yellow Vest protests mark a period of disruption in France’s long, disordered history with liberal democracy. Galvanized behind the symbol of high-visibility jackets, the Yellow Vests mobilized...

Bureaucracy and democracy needs each other by Yunyao Gu

Feb 6, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

"Recent reconstruction programs for Providence RIPTA bus service have received funds around 74 million dollars from Rhode Island Government." said by Greg Nordin, Director of Planning in RIPTA bus....

Exemplify the Love : A Lecture With Dr. Cornel West by Jack Wulf

Feb 6, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

Dr. Cornel West, a philosopher, author, professor, and activist, believes that we as people need to preserve the love of truth and beauty. On January 23, 2019, Dr. Cornel West shared his...

One Bite at A Time to Devour Chinese Authoritarianism | by Zitian Sun

Feb 5, 2019 | American University

An Author's Note: This blog post was developed partially based on an on-going research project on the 1989 Tiananmen Student Protest. Two-Third of the U.S. Population on the Move? Considering...

Retirement System: Democratic Institution by Soeun Yoon

Feb 5, 2019 | Rhode Island School of Design

On a Wednesday morning at 10:30 am, I had the opportunity to attend an open meeting with a friend about Retirement with the Board of the Employees' Retirement System. The event was held on the third...