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...

What the Removal of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy means for American Democracy

Oct 16, 2023 | Boston University

Despite once being hailed as a pillar of democracy and freedom, democracy in the United States has been under threat for a while. Political circumstances threaten American...

Is Guatemala’s Democratic Backsliding Reaching a Tipping Point?

Oct 16, 2023 | Boston University

There is great fear that Guatemala’s democracy is weakening beyond the point of return. Amid election fraud, Guatemala has turned into a country of chaos. The protests are...

Understanding the Disintegration of the Dominican Republic by Melissa Ma @ Ohio State University

Mar 23, 2018 | Ohio State University

Early spring marks the brutality of midterms, papers and presentations for most college students. What is even more grueling is the fact that Midwesterners will often meet this new season with...

A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: Lebanon’s New Electoral Law Entrenches the Power of Political Elites under the Guise of Reform by Jackson Schumacher @ The Ohio State University

Mar 23, 2018 | Ohio State University

Lebanon is set to have its first parliamentary election in 9 years this May and with the new elections will come new electoral laws. The passage of the new electoral law was no small task and the 9...

Democracy With a Side of Corruption: the Political Menu of Argentina by Sunder Sai @ The Ohio State University

Mar 23, 2018 | Ohio State University

What’s cooking in Argentina’s political kitchen? Democracy with a side of corruption is certainly featured on the menu. Here in this post I am bringing out the handy-dandy democratic...

“Panama Papers” Show Panama’s Democracy Could Improve through Civic Engagement by Madeleine Haas @ Ohio State University

Mar 23, 2018 | Ohio State University

Civic engagement is a vital component of any democracy, however immature or struggling. Panama is one such young and struggling democracy. The response of citizens and government officials to the...

The Checks of Democracy are Working in Uruguay by Garrett Rethman @ Ohio State University

Mar 23, 2018 | Ohio State University

In South America’s leading democracy, there is no escaping the rule of democratic law. Uruguay, a small nation wedged between Argentina and Brazil, is the gold standard of democracy within South...

Slavery and the Limitation of Human Rights in Mauritania by Jamie O’Neill @ the Ohio State University

Mar 23, 2018 | Ohio State University

Mauritania, or the Islamic Republic of Mauritania was the last country in the world to legally abolish slavery in 2007, however today a large portion of the Afro-Mauritanian population is still...

A Polarizing Alliance: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Germany’s Grand Coalition by Sarah Stradling @ Ohio State University

Mar 23, 2018 | Ohio State University

The 2017 German election left many people in shock. Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), a far right populist party, gained unprecedented ground in the Parliamentary elections. This led to problems...

NICARAGUA’S BACKSLIDING DEMOCRACY BY HANNAH FRANCES C. BODEGON@UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES, DILIMAN

Mar 23, 2018 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

Daniel Ortega and the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) played a key role in topping down the Somoza dictatorship in 1979. Through a long and heavy struggle, democracy was...

Is Europe’s Migrant Crisis a Potential Threat to Finnish Democracy? By Abby Nutter @ The Ohio State University

Mar 22, 2018 | Ohio State University

By many quantitative measures, Finnish democracy is in seemingly great shape. But while this European nation outwardly sets inspirational international standards for democracy, actions by the...