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.

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

Hungary’s gradual democratic backsliding under Viktor Orbán demonstrates how legal reforms, centralized executive power, and weakened institutional checks can erode democracy from within, turning a once-promising post-communist transition into a partially free, delegative system

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

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 has weakened especially since Imran Khan, the former prime minister,...

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

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 against authoritarian resurgence. What factors have contributed to...

Ongoing Democratic Erosion in Brazil After Bolsonaro

Feb 13, 2026 | Boston University

Brazil’s democracy, as of recent years, has faced significant erosion as a result of former president Jair Bolsonaro’s actions as a semi-loyalist who frequently rejected...

The Deeper Implications of Trump’s Political Labeling

Feb 13, 2026 | Boston University

Most people who have been keeping up with American politics over the past few years are familiar with Donald Trump’s creative language for his opposition. He titled Joe...

When the Army Said No: How Military Defection Toppled Bangladesh’s Autocrat

Dec 8, 2025 | University of Pittsburgh

On the night of August 4, 2024, Bangladesh’s army chief held an emergency video conference with his generals. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had ordered troops to enforce a curfew and suppress the...

The BJP’s Influence on Democratic Backsliding

Dec 7, 2025 | University of Pittsburgh

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the largest in India and has been for the past 30 years. The BJP’s core philosophy emphasized Indian identity as a Hindu majority nation. However, the BJP in...

Drawing the Line in Law: How India’s CAA Turns Citizenship into a Religious Test

Dec 5, 2025 | University of Georgia

India's Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) exemplifies how the application of a supposedly technical citizenship law can subvert the democratic boundaries between "citizens" and "non-citizens." By...

Backsliding or Normalization? What is Driving the Changes to Chilean Voting Laws

Dec 5, 2025 | University of Georgia

In September of 2025, just months before the presidential election, two contentious reforms were passed to change voting laws in Chile to curb the voting capacity and the obligation to vote for...

Democracy and the Press: Netanyahu’s Threat to Media Freedom

Dec 5, 2025 | University of Georgia

Israeli Government Structure Israel has a parliamentary democracy with a unicameral legislature, known as the Knesset, where citizens elect political parties rather than individuals. This system is...

Hungary’s 2024 Protests and Elections: Populism VS Oligarchy

Dec 2, 2025 | University of Pittsburgh

Intro In the last two years, Hungary has seen an influx of worker-led protests, even as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán maintained tight control over politics and the media. From 2023 to 2024,...

Corruption vs. The Fight for Democratic Resilience: The Threat of Ukraine’s Corruption Scandal to EU Membership and Democratic Integrity

Dec 1, 2025 | Northeastern University

On Monday, November 10th, Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies revealed that several of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s long-time associates and other members of the government were allegedly involved...

Shameless Politics: How Scandal Lost Its Power in America

Dec 1, 2025 | Northeastern University

In September of 2024, FBI agents acting as businessmen met with the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Tom Homan under the guise of helping to secure government contracts if Trump...

Recent Anti-Fico Protests Might Indicate a Positive Future for Slovakia’s Democracy

Dec 1, 2025 | University of Georgia

On November 17th, 2025, Slovakian citizens in Bratislava protested and slammed their leaders, specifically Prime Minister, Robert Fico, with chants such as: “We have enough of Fico”, “Resign”, and...