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...

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...

How Bureaucratic Changes are Quietly Dismantling Democracy

Apr 13, 2026 | University of Houston

When we think of democratic collapse, we usually imagine tanks in the streets or protestors storming a palace. We don’t typically think of a quiet office in Washington D.C....

Brazil’s Political Maze: Navigating Turbulence and Corruption

Apr 19, 2024 | Ursinus College

In recent years, Jair Bolsonaro, the former president of Brazil, has found himself under heightened scrutiny due to ongoing investigations into allegations of corruption. These investigations, which...

Planting Roots in Shifting Sands: Weak Parties and the Quest for Democratic Consolidation in the Philippines

Apr 17, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

No other comparison on Philippine politicians is as aesthetically pleasing as being called “butterflies”. This is not to say they are graceful or resilient, but rather that they switch parties as...

The Crisis in South Sudan

Apr 16, 2024 | Ursinus College

South Sudan is currently a failing democracy. After South Sudan gained independence from Sudan on July 9th, 2011, they have been experiencing a shaky consolidation of democracy. I believe this is...

A Continent in Contrast: Mapping Political Polarization in Africa

Apr 15, 2024 | William Jewell College

Political polarization stereotypically holds a negative connotation, especially within an entire country. However, when we hold a conversation about an entire continent, does the preconception...

The Perception Gap in the United States and How it Causes Polarization

Apr 14, 2024 | Georgia State University

The United States has faced increasing polarization in its politics in the past few decades. Politics has become more emotionally charged, which is known as affective polarization according to Joel...

How the South China Sea Dispute Jeopardizes Philippine Democracy

Apr 14, 2024 | University of the Philippines, Diliman

China is flexing its military muscles like never before. As things stand, there seems to be no end in sight to tensions in the South China Sea. In early March, Chinese vessels collided with a...

American Xenophobic Populism: Stopping a Manufactured Disease

Apr 13, 2024 | William Jewell College

Most scholars who follow American democratic erosion begin with social polarization and attempt to find some sociological argument for it. Some thinkers, such as Kathy Cramer, argue that...

Donald Trump and Democratic Backsliding: The Threat of a Populist and More Polarized America

Apr 13, 2024 | William Jewell College

As the 2024 Presidential election comes close, many of us are asking the same fearful questions: if Donald Trump finds his way to power again, will this ultimately diminish democracy ...