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 expansive measures of being democratic: A lesson learned from Palestine

Oct 16, 2023 | School of Public Policy, Chiang Mai University

A ceaseless conflict between the State of Palestine and Israel appears to have no end in sight. Despite international efforts on humanitarian issues, especially for...

Thoughts on Russian “Democracy”

Oct 16, 2023 | Boston University

While the focus on Russia today is its war in Ukraine, which as of writing this enters its 600th day, not too long ago that focus was on the state of its “democracy”. Prior...

How President Maduro is Changing Venezuela’s Once Thriving Democracy into an Autocracy: The Death of Democracy in Venezuela by Osny Calderon @ University of California, Los Angeles

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

Following the death of extremely popular president of Venezuela Hugo Chavez in 2013, his vice president and handpicked successor Nicolás Maduro was appointed and later narrowly elected President...

The Unraveling of the Polish Courts, Another Potential Step Towards Democratic Backsliding by Benjamin Lee @ University of California, Los Angeles

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

On January 15, 2018, Dariusz Zawistowski, the president of Poland's National Council of the Judiciary (KRS), the body in charge of maintaining the impartiality of Polish courts, resigned from his...

Italy and Their Ongoing Struggle by Armida Reyes @ University of California, Los Angeles

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

There are many different events happening all around the world at the moment that affect people on the daily whether through politics or economics. Italy is currently going through some political...

The Migrant Crisis in Venezuela and How It Relates to Democratic Erosion by Karla Aparicio @ University of California Los Angeles

Mar 15, 2018 | University of California, Los Angeles

It is no secret that Venezuela’s economic and political worlds have been at a breaking point for some time. Economic downfalls and crises lead to uncertainty within its citizens in the 1980’s....

Democratic Erosion University Course Student Blog

Food Security is Rooted Abroad

The Meaning of Silence : What the moment of silence for Melissa Hortman says about American democracy

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

The expansive measures of being democratic: A lesson learned from Palestine

Thoughts on Russian “Democracy”

How President Maduro is Changing Venezuela’s Once Thriving Democracy into an Autocracy: The Death of Democracy in Venezuela by Osny Calderon @ University of California, Los Angeles

The Unraveling of the Polish Courts, Another Potential Step Towards Democratic Backsliding by Benjamin Lee @ University of California, Los Angeles

Italy and Their Ongoing Struggle by Armida Reyes @ University of California, Los Angeles

The Migrant Crisis in Venezuela and How It Relates to Democratic Erosion by Karla Aparicio @ University of California Los Angeles

Democratic backsliding within Turkey

Egypt’s Presidential Election: Will Democracy Survive? Will a Frankenstate Rise? by Sabrina Amaya @ UCLA

Il Canto del Populista by Justin Ambrosio @ University of California, Los Angeles

Xi Jipig: President of China for Life

Third Term could Mean further Democratic Backsliding for Hungary by Flor Figueroa @University California, Los Angeles

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