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...

Food and Democracy: Democracy-building U.S. Aid Program under Threat

Nov 5, 2023 | Arizona State University

In 2021, nearly 4 million people were assisted by the McGovern-Dole Food for Education program including 2.1 million school age children across the entire globe. Going into...

Albania is on a slow authoritarian spiral

Oct 31, 2023 | Salem State University

Former Prime Minister of Albania Sali Berisha and his son-in-law Jamarber Maltezzi are embroiled in corruption scandals. Berisha is charged with money laundering and...

March for Science from ad hoc protest to International Grassroots Movement -Soli Gebremichael @American University

Apr 26, 2018 | American University

I attended both March for Science (MFS) rallies in 2017 and 2018. This year’s March was conducted on April 14th, sunny Saturday, perfect to be in outdoors. The organizers invited more than 18...

“it will not purify unless it is filthy”- Short Story of Resistance in Ethiopia -Soli Gebremichael @American University

Apr 26, 2018 | American University

Ethiopia is a country in the horn of Africa that failed under communist military junta even though it successfully conducted a revolution that toppled the 42 years old monarch in 1974. It took 17...

The Possibility of Democratic Erosion in Spain and Catalonia by Potee Robinson @ Georgia State University

Apr 24, 2018 | Georgia State University

Catalonia once was its own autonomous entity with its own customs, language, laws, however this all began to change in the 18th Century with King Felipe V of Spain. Spain had control of the...

Successful Protests Stop Sargasyan From Pulling a Putin in Armenia by Victoria Hill @ American University

Apr 24, 2018 | American University

In April 2018, Serzh Sargsyan reached the end of his constitutionally-allowed two terms as President of Armenia. Less than ten days later, the national assembly elected him as Prime Minister. The...

How George Orwell’s Future Becomes Reality Through the Help of Sinclair Broadcast Group by Dominique Kren

Apr 24, 2018 | American University

As discussed in detail over this semester, one of the key pillars of a democratic system of government is freedom of the press. Perhaps one of the key symptoms of an eroding democratic...

March of our Lives in Atlanta, GA by Jasmeet K. Nagi @Georgia State University

Apr 23, 2018 | Georgia State University

On March 24th2018 the March of our Lives took place in Atlanta, Georgia at the Georgia State Capitol. March of our Lives was launched by the survivors of the Parkland shooting held in Florida hence,...

Alert the Media: India’s Freedom of the Press under Threat by Anagha Kadambi @ American University

Apr 23, 2018 | American University

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, under pressure from the news media, opposition parties, and others, recently withdrew a proposed bill to punish purveyors of so-called “fake news” by stripping...

“FUTURE OF OUR NATION” by Lauren C. Jones @ Georgia State University

Apr 23, 2018 | Georgia State University

On Tuesday, January 30, 2018 at 9:15pm EST, President Donald Trump delivered his first State of the Union address as the 45thpresident of the United States of America. I was able to not only witness...

Political Corruption: The Threat of Democratic Erosion in Romania by Nicole Wells @ American University

Apr 22, 2018 | American University

Over the last four years, Romania has been rocked by major protests and riots not seen since the Revolution of 1989 that ended the brutal Communist dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaucescu. Major...