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.

Analyzing the 2024 Mexican Judicial Reforms

In 2024, the then-President of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, passed a sweeping overhaul of the judiciary in Mexico. The 2024 judicial reforms introduced a dramatic overhaul of Mexico’s judicial system, eroding judicial independence and reducing the Supreme...

Flip a Coin: Voting in the United States of America

Voting in the United States of America is portrayed as the foundation of the world's greatest democracy, the ultimate freedom amongst an endless list of freedoms. But this century has seen a shadow of doubt thrown upon the idea of voting as the outcomes and processes...

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 Combo of Asset Freezes and Deterioration of Democratic Norms relegates India’s Democratic Standing

Apr 15, 2026 | Boston University

Recently, India has been experiencing some forms of democratic backsliding. According to Nancy Bermeo’s “On Democratic Backsliding”, she depicts democratic backsliding as...

Tempering Potential Post-Election Expectations in Hungary

Apr 12, 2026 | Boston University

Hungary’s 21st century shift from liberal democracy into a “hybrid regime” – or a competitive authoritarianist state, as the phenomenon is also sometimes known – has been...

Can “Asia’s Trump” Make a Political Comeback?

Dec 5, 2024 | Brown University

He used methods of intimidation and subverted the rule of law to attack his political enemies. He played the “strong man” to weaken institutional mechanisms and checks against his authority. He...

Democratic Erosion is Exactly What Hungarians Wanted

Dec 5, 2024 | Brown University

Since 2010, Hungary has had the same leader - far-right populist Viktor Orban. He rose in popularity in the late 1980s after he called on the Soviet Red Army to “go home.” He empowered Hungarians to...

Cash for Votes: How Pervasive Clientelism Undermines India’s Democracy

Dec 4, 2024 | Brown University

“All elected leaders buy votes. Even children know that” (NPR). This is how governance in India is viewed by many of its citizens: a system that is democratic in name, with duly elected leaders, but...

What can the Balon D’or tell us about Democratic Erosion?

Dec 4, 2024 | Brown University

Unforgettable robbery! Corruption! Undeserved! Are these comments from the recent US Presidential Election? No, they are reactions to the announcement of the most important individual award in the...

Looking Local: Why the Rise of School Takeovers Threaten American Democracy

Dec 4, 2024 | Brown University

The 2024 election and the rise of Trump have sparked concern on the Left over the state of democracy in the United States and the consolidation of power under the incoming administration. This...

Fake News For Profit: The Disinformation Goldrush

Dec 3, 2024 | Brown University

As the 2016 US Presidential election approached, ‘fake news’ surged across the internet, with hundreds of pro-Trump websites shared by millions of people. At least 100 of these sites have been...

Could the 2017 burning of Congress in Paraguay have led to the end years of Colorado Party dominance?

Nov 8, 2024 | Ohio State University

On March 31st, 2017, protesters set fire to the Paraguayan Congress, dismantling fences, clashing with riot police, and storming the legislative chambers, venting anger at what they saw as an attack...

The Unpaved Road Of Guatemala’s Democracy

Nov 5, 2024 | Ohio State University

The road to democracy for Guatemala was rocky and has remained just as unpaved since. Guatemala has a unique political history, with civil wars, hope for peace, and relentless relapses. Through this...

Georgia’s Stolen Election: A Setback for Democracy and European Integration

Nov 5, 2024 | Ohio State University

On October 26th, Georgia held elections that would determine the fate of democracy in their country. Unfortunately, democracy lost. The winning party ran its campaign partly on the platform of...