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 Invisible Line: El Salvador in the Gray Zone between Democracy and Dictatorship

Stealth authoritarianism is the process in which political elites gradually erode democratic systems not through overt force but by manipulation of the public’s fear. In this context, El Salvador has appeared as a representative example. By emphasizing crime reduction...

The Quiet Death of Democracy: Benin

Benin was once West Africa’s democratic model — now it’s a warning for every democracy that mistakes elections for accountability.

Young people are becoming increasingly desensitized to war, death, and violence…why is this happening?.

Young people of today’s world have seen quite a bit. From millions dying from COVID-19, to hundreds of school shootings, and global conflicts where civilian attacks and murders have become commonplace. That’s just to name a few of the ways that the upcoming generation...

Academic Freedom Under Pressure: What Attacks on U.S. Universities Reveal About Democratic Erosion

Apr 17, 2026 | Boston University

Recent attacks on academics in the United States point to a broader and more concerning trend, which is the erosion of democratic norms through political polarization and...

Democratic Backsliding in India: Electoral Manipulation and the Deterioration of Civil Liberties

Apr 17, 2026 | Boston University, Uncategorized, Universities

Since 1950, India has been considered the world’s largest democracy. Although democracy-watching organizations have different methods of categorizing democracies, they all...

Democratic Backsliding in the Philippines

https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclusive/the-son-also-rises/

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

Rodrigo Duterte's presidency from 2016 to 2022 launched the Philippines into political turmoil and democratic backsliding, taking similar actions to the authoritarian ruler Ferdinand Marcos....

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: How Does This Affect Democracy?

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

Now more than ever we can see that our “democracy,” initiatives and plans are under siege and fire. Currently, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives are under attack and are affecting...

Power to the People: Art and the Absence of Democracy

https://www.mfa.org/exhibition/power-of-the-people-art-and-democracy

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

From October 26, 2024-February 17th 2025 the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts premiered the exhibit Power to the people: Art and Democracy in hopes of showing the Promise, the Practice,...

Notes On A Post-DOGE America

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

The last few weeks of American governance have come as a massive surprise to vast swathes of the American public. Among the various events that have rocked the American Political Circus: the...

Executive Order 14171: A Deceptive Tool for Democratic Erosion

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States, marking the beginning of his second term in the Oval Office. That day, he signed a myriad of...

Netanyahu’s Not-So-Stealthy Authoritarianism

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

Long considered to be the “Middle East’s only democracy,” Israel as it stands today is a shell of the idealistic Jewish utopia its Zionist founder once envisioned. The Israeli government has been...

Erosion of Taboos: The Dangers of the AfD Party

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

Less than two weeks away from the crucial elections in Germany, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has endorsed Alice Weidel, the chancellor candidate of the far-right political group Alternative...

Trump’s January 6 Pardons

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

Donald Trump's pardoning of roughly 1,500 criminal defendants charged from the January 6th insurrection is a dangerous step in undermining American democracy and freedom. It reveals deeper concerns...

The Fear of Losing Family: Donald Trumps Controversial Immigration Policies

Feb 14, 2025 | Boston University

Image From: Chicago Council of Global Affairs Since he first ran for office in 2016, one of Donald Trump's biggest concerns was clear: illegal immigration. President Trump has won millions of votes...