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.

A Green Card Once Meant Protection: Now it is Fear

A Green Card Once Meant Protection: Now it is Fear By Fotios E. Meimeteas Imagine you are a single mother in the United States, raising four children who depend on you. You have established a new life, built a home, paid taxes, and lived in the United States for...

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...

Selective Support of the Courts: How Elite Driven Narratives in Brazil Undermine the Courts Perceived Legitimacy

May 11, 2026 | James Madison University

When Election Results Take Too Long: What Happened in Peru

May 11, 2026 | James Madison University

Elections are supposed to provide clarity. They tell citizens who won, who lost, and what comes next. But in Peru, the recent election did the opposite. Instead of clear...

Born Here, Belonging Nowhere: The Constitutional Crisis of Executive Order 14,160

Apr 30, 2026 | Tulane University

On January 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued executive order No. 14,160 titled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” which declared that individuals born in the United...

The Silver Lining of American Retreat: How U.S. Disengagement from NATO Could Forge a Stronger Europe

Apr 29, 2026 | Suffolk University

There is a peculiar irony at the heart of what is happening to NATO right now. The United States, the alliance’s founding architect and long-time guarantor, has spent the better part of the last...

Do It Anyway: Why America’s Checks & Balances Are Failing

Apr 29, 2026 | Suffolk University

One of the main campaign promises made by the Trump campaign was to bring prices down for everyday Americans. He promised (and failed to deliver) sweeping economic reforms, the implementation of...

Protecting Democracy: Indigenous-led Social Movements in Guatemala 2023

Apr 29, 2026 | Tulane University

In 2023, presidential elections were held in Guatemala, and the country chose to protect democracy. With a longstanding history of corruption entrenched throughout the political and economic...

A Nobel Laureate Suspended, A Journalist Jailed: Tunisia’s Slide into Competitive Authoritarianism

Apr 28, 2026 | Suffolk University

On April 24, 2026, Tunisian President Kais Saied’s government suspended the Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH). This organization shared the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize for its role in saving the...

On the ousting of Orbán

Apr 28, 2026 | Tulane University

Viktor , standard bearer of the international populist right wing and Prime Minister of Hungary since 2010, has been defeated. The election took place on April, 12th 2026 and saw Péter Magyar, a...

Democracy in Exchange for Security; What is Left When the Concert Ends?

Apr 28, 2026 | Tulane University

Hundreds of thousands of fans filled El Salvador’s national stadium to witness Shakira’s sold out five-night residency of the “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour”. Initially the residence was only...

Counter-Gerrymandering and What it Means for American Democracy

Apr 28, 2026 | University of Houston

Gerrymandering is a word well known to most with even a passing interest in politics, but to many who don’t pay attention, it’s a word they’ve just recently started hearing. Gerrymandering is the...

Long Term Effects of the “Secret Club” Scandal

Apr 27, 2026 | Suffolk University

The "Secret Club” Scandal, often referred to as the "Slovenska" affair, shocked Croatian society and uncovered deep seated corruption that goes all the way to the top. During strict COVID-19...