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 blogs reflect the views of the student authors, and not those of the Democratic Erosion Consortium.

The Election That May Save Hungary’s Democracy

"Today we won because the Hungarian people didn't ask what their country could do for them, but what they could do for their country," -Péter Magyar Hungary just held its most consequential election in a generation, bringing an end to Viktor Orbán’s sixteen year reign...

Misinformation: The Role it Plays in the Persistence of the 2020 Election

The stability of democracy does not only rely on the security of elections but on the people’s trust of their legitimacy, and the aftermath of the 2020 United States presidential election shows how misinformation, elite influence, and repetition can erode that trust even when systems run properly.

Syria’s “transition” Is Creating a New Authoritarianism-Not Democracy.

Syria is often referred to as a country in transition. That is deceiving A transition implies progress toward something better—usually democracy. However, Syria's present political trajectory points in a completely different direction. My point is that Syria's...

The Trend of Polarization: How Political Competition Becomes Conflict

Apr 16, 2026 | Boston University, Universities

“Us” Versus “Them” In the context of modern politics in the United States and around the world, an increasingly worrying factor that plays a role in the phenomenon of...

The Dignity Act and the Death of Bipartisanship

Apr 16, 2026 | Boston University

For much of the late twentieth century, immigration reform in the United States was an achievable feat through bipartisan cooperation. Lawmakers disagreed on key provisions,...

The Russia-Ukraine War Bodes Poorly for Democracy, But Not in the Way You Think

Mar 3, 2025 | The University of Alabama

The growing unpopularity for America providing foreign aid to Ukraine during its conflict with Russia signals a troubling shift towards isolationism. The United States, the world’s most involved...

The Trump Administration’s Attack on USAID

Feb 17, 2025 | Boston University

When President Trump campaigned for a second term in office, he promised to cut what he referred to as government waste, fraud and abuse. He tasked Elon Musk, shortly after his election, with...

Does Nayib Bukele Present a Compelling Challenge to Democratic Values?

Feb 15, 2025 | Boston University

Underlining political discussion here in the United States is a presumption that democracy is the best system by which we can organise civil society. I should preface that I, too, subscribe to this...

DOJ Terminations

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

Recently, The White House Terminated multiple U.S. attorneys within the Justice Department, which in itself can be seen as executive aggrandizement considering The White House is typically not...

Separation of Powers: The Judicial Branch’s Fight Against Trump

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

During his first three weeks in office, President Trump has signed over 60 executive orders covering controversial issues from DEI to immigration. Many of these executive orders have been met with...

Democratic Erosion in Political Satire: Exploring Americans’ Attitudes on Trump

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

For those concerned with U.S. democracy, it should suffice to say that this year has been off to a tumultuous start. With Donald Trump’s return to the White House, exhibiting his all too familiar...

DOGE: How Elon is Dismantling Democracy

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

Over the course of Trump’s initial presidency and subsequent re-election, the United States has faced several threats to the resilience and stability of its democratic institutions. From the January...

Democracy on the Brink: How the 2024 Election Tested America’s Democratic Foundations

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

The Slow Creep of Democratic Erosion Democracy doesn’t collapse suddenly – it deteriorates gradually from within. The 2024 U.S. presidential election revealed significant divisions in American...

Trump and The Fight for Immunity

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

The Trump administration has settled into the White House for less than a month, taking action on several issues that America is facing. With many problems to tackle, it does not help that President...