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.

Look at What They Took From You: MAGA Polarization Through Social Media

With the accessibility of social media, how does the current administration use it to create polarization?

From Secularism to Islamic Authority: Democratic Backsliding in Bangladesh

The journalists and citizens of Bangladesh look to the Jamaat to abide by the July National Charter of 2025, which seeks to prevent autocratic rule from institutionalizing once more.

From Left to Right-Wing Populism: Can Argentina Survive Another Movement?

In November 2023, self-proclaimed anarcho-capitalist Javier Milei won the Argentinian presidency. His campaign ran on the promise of dismantling the existing political establishment that many Argentinians had grown dissatisfied with. Yet, rather than departing from...

Fragmenting the United States Post Dobbs Decision

Mar 29, 2026 | Suffolk University

In 1973, the United States Supreme Court made a landmark decision in Roe v. Wade to legalize abortion prior to fetal viability, prohibiting any state bans. At the beginning...

What Syria’s Attempted Political Transition Means For Democracy

Mar 29, 2026 | Suffolk University

Syria is not transitioning to democracy. It is stuck in a political system that prevents democracy from taking hold. That may sound obvious. But it isn't. Many discussions...

January 6: A Stress Test for American Democracy

Mar 9, 2026 | University of Houston

When we hear the word “democratic crisis,” most of us picture something dramatic. A military takeover or a government collapsing overnight. The kind of thing that feels distant, like it only happens...

From January 6th to the Epstein Files: How Partisanship and Institutional Weakness Threaten American Democracy

Mar 9, 2026 | University of Houston

On January 6, 2021, the United States Capitol was stormed by supporters of President Donald Trump who were in uproar over the electoral results following the...

Trumpian Reform and Its Implications for American Democracy

Mar 9, 2026 | University of Houston

Should a president always be held accountable for crimes committed in office if he claims they were necessary to doing his job? In Trump v. United States, the Supreme Court essentially ruled no....

Myanmar’s Democracy Crisis

Mar 8, 2026 | University of Houston

On February 1, 2021, Myanmar’s (Burma) military, known as the Tatmadaw, seized control of the country and overthrew the democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi and the National...

The SAVE Act, Voter Suppression, and Erosion in the US

Mar 4, 2026 | Arizona State University

An updated version of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE, Act was passed by the House of Representatives on February 11th of this year. Meant to “[ensure] the integrity of elections”...

Hungary: A Case Study of Democratic Backsliding in the European Union

Mar 1, 2026 | Arizona State University

Since the conclusion of the Cold War and the collapse of Soviet influence in Central and Eastern Europe, many countries embraced liberal democracy as the ultimate stage of political...

How Pakistans Government has Backslided Further since Imran Khan’s arrest

Feb 27, 2026 | Boston University

Democratic erosion is a gradual process that has been an ongoing process in Pakistan. While the country still holds elections and operates under the 1973 constitution, the quality of the democracy...

Tunisia: A Case Study of Democratic Backsliding and the Impetus call for Civil Democracy

Feb 22, 2026 | Arizona State University

Since the demand for democracy emerged during the Arab Spring across many middle eastern countries, the origin country Tunisia have been countlessly facing many challenges in their struggle...

Examining Democratic Backsliding Through the Actions of ICE

Feb 20, 2026 | Salem State University

The disruption and terror produced by ICE agents have spread rapidly across the United States, having devastating impacts on big cities and small towns alike. In Leominster, Massachusetts — a town...