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.

Trump’s Press Ban and The Courts Response

Access to unbarred media is fundamental to maintaining the integrity of a democratic country. Without independent media, the stream of information to voters is disrupted making people's understanding of their political environment inaccurate. If the media...

Trump’s Use of the SAVE Database May Threaten Democratic Participation

On Friday, September 25th, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to make use of the Department of Homeland Security's Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database to screen state voter lists for possible noncitizens temporarily. The...

The Press and the Limits of Presidential Power

On September 25, 2026, The Atlantic published Quinta Jurecic’s article, “The Two-Year Temper Tantrum to Come,” about President Donald Trump’s recent fight with the White House press. Just one day earlier, a federal judge had ordered the White House to restore access...

Tunisia’s Post-Arab Spring Decline: Courts as Tools of Democratic Erosion

Oct 2, 2026 | Boston University

For much of the decade following the Arab Spring, Tunisia was celebrated as the movement’s only lasting democratic success. While uprisings elsewhere produced civil war,...

India’s Opposition vs. the Election Commission

Oct 2, 2026 | Boston University

India's opposition parties say the country's elections are being rigged, challenging the election institute. Their members of parliament plan to march to the Election...

Fujimori or Sánchez – How Peru Loses Either Way

May 7, 2026 | James Madison University

In the April 2026 presidential elections in Peru there was a total of 35 candidates. As we approach the runoff vote on the top two candidates, Peruvians are going to be choosing between Keiko...

When Will It End? Stealth Authoritarianism over Female Reproductive Rights

May 6, 2026 | Suffolk University

In May 2026, the United States Supreme Court has now finally temporarily restored access to the mailing of mifepristone after a lower court ruling previously threatened to prohibit its nationwide...

Democracy Dying by Law : A Case study of Poland’s Under PiS Era

May 5, 2026 | George Mason University

Still water runs deep. Have you ever heard of this phrase? It means that the surface may look calm, but there is some powerful force moving underneath. What if this was happening in real life? That...

The New Nepal: A Model or An Outlier?

May 5, 2026 | Salem State University

Recent uprisings in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Madagascar (just to name a few) have highlighted younger generations’ demands for anticorruption and better political representation....

Challenging Erdoğan’s Autocracy: Resistance to Democratic Erosion in Türkiye

May 5, 2026 | James Madison University

Tens of thousands of people crowded the streets of Istanbul for another night of protests in late March of 2025, waving red Turkish flags and wearing masks to protect against the police force’s...

Elimination of Accountability in Nicaragua under the Ortega regime

May 5, 2026 | James Madison University

Nicaragua under Daniel Ortega has seen its presidential republic downgraded from a competitive democracy to an authoritarian regime, where the government has been more focused on the suppression of...

Democratic Erosion in Chile (1963-1975)

May 4, 2026 | Tulane University

Chile between the period of 1964 and 1975 represents a great example of how democracy can be eroded through both internal failure, but mainly through the planned efforts of global superpowers. This...

After Orbán: Should the EU be shifting its sights to Bulgaria?

May 4, 2026 | Suffolk University

Victor Orbán, a pain in the European Union’s side, is no longer in office. Although, the EU cannot celebrate just yet, as Rumen Radev might have just taken his place. After nearly 10 years as...

Two Presidents Walk into a Room: Daniel Noboa and Donald Trump’s Relationship

May 4, 2026 | Tulane University

The security crisis of Latin America is a discussion consistently making its way on both the world stage and domestic politics. What is not a constant is the introduction of the relatively quiet...