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.

Democracy in America in Historic Decline: What’s Next For the USA?

With the release of the most recent V-Dem report on world democracy, the US has reached a 60-year low dropping all the way back to levels before the civil rights era. This has been labeled as the single most dramatic decline of democracy in the world. The rate at...

Looking at Trump’s and Obama’s State of the Unions Through the Lens of Mutual Toleration

How do Trump and Obama compare to one another when we analyze their state of the union speeches based on the theory of mutual toleration?

Is Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Actually Keeping Us Safe?

Voter fraud in the United States is almost nonexistent, with very little evidence suggesting that noncitizens are the ones committing it, if it does happen. Audits and research have repeatedly found only tiny numbers of such cases, often due to clerical errors rather...

When Courts Become Political

Mar 29, 2026 | University of Houston

In an ideal world, the judiciary is like the referees in a democracy. Their job is to make sure that all the players are playing by the rules, that our rights are protected,...

Do Economic Factors Really Affect the Durability of Authoritarian Regimes?

Mar 29, 2026 | Suffolk University

Oftentimes to an outside, democratically minded observer, the durability of authoritarian rule seems perplexing. After all, why would anyone not rise up against a tyrant or...

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...

How Trump is using Stealth Authority

Feb 19, 2026 | Boston University

Donald Trump has partook in many actions that concern many about the health of American democracy. While deeply explored by many people and complaints about him are common, we must not become numb...

Election Denialism Might be The New Normal in The United States

Feb 17, 2026 | Boston University

In 2021, Trump gave a speech at his “Save America” Rally, where he repeated false claims of election fraud. Shortly after the rally, a crowd of MAGA supporters broke into the US Capitol and...

Stealth Authoritarianism in Tunisia

Feb 14, 2026 | Boston University

According to Al Jazeera, Tunisia’s January 2026 sentencing of two journalists to three year prison terms for allegedly “spreading false news" illustrates the broader pattern of democratic erosion...