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.

The Erosion of an Already Weak Democracy: The Rise and Fall of Jovenel Moïse

Jovenel Moïse's presidency marked a dangerous shift from Haiti's already shaky democracy to overt authoritarianism. Delayed elections, unchecked abuse of executive power, and violent suppression of resistance became the norm. By the time of his assassination in 2021,...

Undermining the Feedback Loop: How Trump’s Educational Policies Hinder Democratic Accountability

In a larger trend of censoring opinions which the Trump administration views as undesirable, the Trump administration’s actions towards schools and universities has a negative impact on democracy as a whole. Such a system depends on the free transmission of...

Democracy Six Feet Under: How Disinformation is Burying Philippine Democracy Alive

Philippine democracy is in great danger once again now that the two families who benefited the most from disinformation – the Marcoses and Dutertes, are in power and have turned against one another. As both camps sling disinformation against each other, the...

Prosperity Does Not Equal Democracy: Economic Inequality and Democratic Erosion

Apr 15, 2025 | Boston University

The United States is rich. In fact, almost ridiculously so; to illustrate, according to the IMF’s World Economic Outlook for 2025, the U.S. sits proudly at the apex of...

The Disbandment of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party: An Example of Authoritarian Consolidation

Apr 13, 2025 | Boston University

On April 13th, 2025, Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy party, the Democratic Party, voted to begin dissolving itself. Over 90% of the party’s remaining members backed the...

Netanyahu’s Antidemocratic Reforms

Dec 5, 2023 | Northeastern University

Background Info: Israel in its modern state is a parliamentary democratic state that holds free and fair elections with various parties offering its citizens ease in interacting with their...

Recent Polish Elections signal a shift from populism potentially across Europe back to democracy.

Dec 3, 2023 | Salem State University

On October 15th, 2023, Poland held parliamentary elections. The rightwing populist Law and Justice Party (PiS) won 194 seats (35.38% of the vote), while the Civic Coalition (KO), led by former...

Unraveling Russia’s Influence on Brazil’s Democracy: The Nova Resistência

Nov 24, 2023 | Northeastern University

In the landscape of global information manipulation, the New Resistance emerges as a significant player in the erosion of democracy. The New Resistance is a pro-Kremlin, quasi-paramilitary,...

Do Competing Foreign Interests Dissuade Democratic Progress?

Nov 24, 2023 | Northeastern University

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the fall of Yugoslavia, many nations abandoned their communist alliances and ideologies, and flocked to Western alliances they believed would...

Scapegoating and Civil Liberties: How the Ugandan Anti-LGBTQ Bill is Dragging Down Democracy

Nov 22, 2023 | Northeastern University

“Something evil has been put into society. We would be attacked, we would not be safe, Uganda is not safe”, says Diane, a young Ugandan woman forced to flee the country due to the LGBTQ violence....

American Democracy and the Censuring of Rashida Tlaib

Nov 22, 2023 | Northeastern University

On November 7th, in a 234-188 vote, the United States House of Representatives voted to censure Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib following Tlaib’s comments on the Israel-Hamas war. Twenty-two Democrats...

Ballot Initiatives: Lessons from Ohio’s November Elections

Nov 22, 2023 | Northeastern University

On Tuesday, November 7, voters in Ohio went to the polls and voted to enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution and legalize recreational marijuana use (Issue 1 and Issue 2 on the...

Media Repression in Mexico: Why Mexico is the Deadliest Country to be a Journalist

Nov 22, 2023 | University of Memphis

Media repression threatens the civil liberties of the public and journalists. Freedom of the press is an important right that should be protected for anyone seeking a career in journalism. The right...

Gridlock From Polarization: The Current State of the United States Government

Nov 22, 2023 | Northeastern University

What is gridlock and polarization? Political theorist, Jennifer McCoy, defines polarization as, “a process whereby the normal multiplicity of differences in a society increasingly align along...