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...

The New Future of Warfare? How Social Media is Inflating Tensions Between the U.S. and Iran.

Social media is moving to the forefront of the ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran, with political elites from both sides of the conflict using social media as a weapon to fabricate narratives and generate AI videos to publicly denounce the actions of one...

The Danger of Political Disinformation Within the United States

Nov 21, 2023 | University of Memphis

Political Disinformation is one of the greatest threats facing the United States today. It not only...

Here is One Turkey That Needs to be Saved This Thanksgiving

Nov 20, 2023 | University of Memphis

Recep Erdogan has just won his third consecutive term as Turkey's president, so what does this mean for Turkey's democracy? What was once a thriving example of a steady...

Is democracy declining in Israel? by Tal Been, Gal Factor, Or Hcabra, Shaked Infeld, Tally Kyegan, Noam Noy, Daniel Padon,and Sharon Somech

Jan 14, 2019 | Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

The Department of Government and Politics at Ben-Gurion University recently hosted (17/2/18) a panel entitled: “Is democracy declining in Israel?,” featuring prominent scholars who study the Israeli...

Is Democratic Backsliding Sometimes a Democratic Choice? by Ji’Carla Martínez @University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Dec 10, 2018 | University of Louisiana, Lafayette

As defined by political scientists, democratic backsliding is the gradual breakdown of democratic institutions within a country. With the rise of populism and nationalism being reflected in various...

United States of Democracy

Dec 10, 2018 | University of Louisiana, Lafayette

Before World War II, America tried to keep to itself. The young country was trying to keep its head above water after decades of economic recessions off and on. After the two World Wars, America...

Much A Coup About Nothing: Examining the Distinction Without Difference Between Coups d’Etat and Promissory Coups by Steve Noyes @ University of Louisiana, Lafayette

Dec 10, 2018 | University of Louisiana, Lafayette

Exploring the concept of the promissory coup as it relates to the traditional coup d'etat. The general global decline in coups d’état, while a positive facet of the ever-changing...

Backrubbers of the Elite: on the U.S Surveillance State & Doubting the “Arc of History”

Dec 10, 2018 | University of Louisiana, Lafayette

There is almost no other political expression as irritatingly frustrating to me as the “arc of history” is. The phrase, as popularized by President Obama during his tenure, has become a safety...

A Not So Secret Ballot? By: Jackson A. Jimenez @University of Louisiana

Dec 9, 2018 | University of Louisiana, Lafayette

Are digital voter files undermining free and fair elections in the United States? Could the United States’ democratic electoral processes be under assault at the hands of...

Silent vs. Screaming: How Millennials are Giving Up Privacy while the Silent Generation Hangs On by Molly Simpson @ University of Louisiana, Lafayette

Dec 8, 2018 | University of Louisiana, Lafayette

Pippa Norris’s article Is Western Democracy Backsliding? Diagnosing the Risks analyzes period, life-cycle, and generation effects in public opinion. It was an intriguing read...

Reaching a Compromise on Gun Safety by Matthew Mottet @ Georgia State University

Dec 6, 2018 | Georgia State University

As of October 2018, there have been 47,225 gun-related incidents in the United States, with 11,984 of those incidents resulting in death. The issue our group attempted to resolve is improving gun...

The Ultimate Fight: U.S.A. vs Populism by Kaylan Anderson @University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Dec 6, 2018 | University of Louisiana, Lafayette

In the United States some people may feel that having elected Donald Trump as president has contributed to the increase of populism. Citizens gravitate towards populism in hopes of electing a...