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...

Buying Injustice: The Hidden Harms of this Act.

Are we looking to create a thriving society, or are we allowing fear into the lives of immigrant families? As new immigration policies appear, the question become, how do we prevent the changes that involve separating families and dismantling the place that...

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....

Tempering Potential Post-Election Expectations in Hungary

Apr 12, 2026 | Boston University

Hungary’s 21st century shift from liberal democracy into a “hybrid regime” – or a competitive authoritarianist state, as the phenomenon is also sometimes known – has been...

Unraveling Mexico’s Democratic Backsliding: Navigating the AMLO Presidency and the Looming Shadow of His Populism

Apr 10, 2024 | Georgia State University

Andres Manuel López Obrador's presidency significantly shifted Mexico's political landscape. Elected in 2018 with a promise of transformative change under the MORENA party, AMLO's tenure has been...

The Divisive Force of Technological Polarization: Understanding the TikTok Ban

Apr 10, 2024 | Georgia State University

In the ever-evolving landscape of social media platforms, TikTok has captivated millions with its short-form videos and trend-setting content. However, beneath its entertaining surface lies a...

Sall’s Stealth Authoritarian: Senegal’s Election Delay

Apr 10, 2024 | Ursinus College

Senegal has been a democracy since 1960 when it first gained independence. It is one of the only countries in Africa to have never suffered a coup since their independence. Now, in the past month,...

Mythological history is undermining democracy: Considering a 2024 Trump Reelection

Mar 31, 2024 | American University

Trump winning reelection in 2024 poses an extreme threat to democracy because of the damage already done through his increasingly authoritarian discourse. Normalizing a lie through repetition...

The Houthis Campaign Against Corruption is a Threat to Yemen’s Survival

Mar 11, 2024 | American University

Houthis promote their own agenda at the expense of the Yemen Yemen has long suffered from the effects of European colonization as well as religious and cultural divides between its north and south....

Venezuela: Two leaders, one resource, no democracy

Mar 7, 2024 | William Jewell College

The story of Venezuela’s descent into autocracy is not one tale; it is two stories linked together by little more than a transfer of power and an overreliance upon the volatile oil industry to...

Democratic Erosion in Turkey Can Help Us Understand the Importance of Protecting Institutions in the Face of Extreme Polarization

Feb 28, 2024 | William Jewell College

For the first time since Democracy’s Third Wave in the late 20th century, the number of countries transitioning into democracies has been recently met with the same amount of countries backsliding,...