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.

Food Security is Rooted Abroad

Global fertilizer supply chains connect geopolitical events abroad to food production at home in ways most consumers don’t see.

The Meaning of Silence : What the moment of silence for Melissa Hortman says about American democracy

On June 14, 2025, the lives of Melissa Hortman who was a House speaker in Minnesota and her husband Mark were taken in what authorities believe to be a politically motivated act of violence. The same day Senator John Hoffman and his wife were also shot and...

The New Future of Warfare? How Social Media is Inflating Tensions Between the U.S. and Iran.

Social media is moving to the forefront of the ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran, with political elites from both sides of the conflict using social media as a weapon to fabricate narratives and generate AI videos to publicly denounce the actions of one...

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...

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...

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

Apr 26, 2026 | George Mason University

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...

The Quiet Death of Democracy: Benin

Apr 26, 2026 | George Mason University

What comes to mind when you hear the word "democracy"? Most people would mention elections. Elections are important for democracy, but they alone do not create it. Schmitter and Karl refer to this...

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

Apr 26, 2026 | Suffolk University

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...

The Threat of The Shadow Docket

Apr 25, 2026 | Boston University

The US Supreme Court has used the shadow docket, a process to issue emergency orders, incessantly in the last few years. Since the start of Trump's second term, this expedited process has been used...

Syria is not “Stuck Between Systems.” Time is the system.

Apr 25, 2026 | Suffolk University

There's a typical method of talking about Syria that appears reasonable at first. They claim the country is “in transition.” Or it is “not there yet.” Alternatively, democracy may arrive...

Democratic erosion in Ecuador

Apr 25, 2026 | Boston University

Second Blog post On March 6, 2026, Ecuador’s electoral courts ordered the suspension of the country's largest left leaning opposition party, Revolucion Ciudadana (Citizen’s revolution). The party,...

Pernicious Polarization and the Failure of Resistance in El Salvador

Apr 24, 2026 | Boston University

The current state of democracy in El Salvador emphasizes how pernicious polarization destroys the possibility of effective resistance to democratic backsliding, as theorized by McCoy, Rahman, and...

How Democracy Erodes: A Comparison between the U.S. and Brazil

Apr 23, 2026 | Suffolk University

Both the United States under President Trump and Brazil under Jair Bolsonaro experienced a period of anti-democratic rhetoric. That led to the decline of significant indicators of stable democratic...

Why The Save Act Misses The Mark

Apr 22, 2026 | Suffolk University

The current administration's push for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act has become yet another polarizing topic between the left and the right. The SAVE America Act...