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.

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 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.

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

Apr 21, 2026 | Suffolk University

Democratic stability not only relies on fair elections, but on the shared belief of their legitimacy. The controversy surrounding the 2020 United States presidential...

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

Apr 21, 2026 | Suffolk University

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...

Democratic Erosion in Serbia and the Role of China’s Belt and Road Initiative

Apr 20, 2026 | George Mason University

The Novi Sad Canopy Collapse and Vučić’s response Can authoritarianism be spread transnationally, and if so, how does it affect democratic regimes in an era of...

The Stealthy Decay: Türkiye’s Democratic Erosion

Apr 19, 2026 | George Mason University

For much of the early twenty-first century, Türkiye was often considered a successful example of democratic consolidation in a Muslim-majority country. Political scientists such as Guillermo...

Before the Ballot Arrives: Trump’s Mail Voting Order and the Capture of Election Infrastructure

Apr 19, 2026 | Suffolk University

By March 24th, Donald Trump had voted by mail in a special election to fill a seat in Florida’s lower chamber. A week later, he signed an executive order directing the federal government to control...

Popularity Doesn’t Equal Democracy: A Look Into El Salvador’s Puzzle

Apr 19, 2026 | Boston University

Since President Nayib Bukele took office in 2019, El Salvador has undermined norms by changing the constitution, branches of government, and civil rights. While this directly threatens democracy,...

The BJP and Democracy in India

Apr 19, 2026 | Suffolk University

India’s history with democracy is long and often complex, especially when considering cultural factors and the size of the population as it has continued to increase over time. Under Modi and the...

When Guardrails Break: Turkey’s Terrifying Warning to the Democratic World

https://www.nccadvocacy.org/post/freedom-house-freedom-in-the-world-2025#:~:text=Freedom%20on%20the%20Net%202025,with%20sharpest%20decline%20in%20freedoms

Apr 19, 2026 | George Mason University, Universities

Democracy collapses not because of army tanks, but because of the division fostered by leadership and legitimate voting. Just over a decade ago, Turkey was praised as a successful model for the...

Is This The New Normal?

Apr 19, 2026 | Suffolk University

The President of The United States threatened genocide in the Middle East over a social media post. This is not an exaggeration nor a bizarre example of being hacked. The post is also not the first...

Why Elections Alone Do Not Make the Philippines Democratic

Apr 19, 2026 | George Mason University

Why Elections Alone Do Not Make the Philippines Democratic The Philippines holds elections every six years. All citizens have the right to vote, leaders are changed by the results of elections, and...

Birds of an Anti-Democratic Feather: What Trump’s Recent Shift in Alliances Reveals About the Frightening Future of Democracy

Apr 19, 2026 | Suffolk University

How fast can a democratic empire fall? If you ask Donald Trump, he will likely tell you that any answer is not fast enough. While the hallmarks of American democracy have been suffering greatly...