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...

Look at What They Took From You: MAGA Polarization Through Social Media

Mar 30, 2026 | Arizona State University

The official White House X account sits at over four million followers. Created in January of 2025, the social media page’s bio reads: “The Golden Age of America Begins...

From Secularism to Islamic Authority: Democratic Backsliding in Bangladesh

Mar 30, 2026 | University of Houston

Democratic backsliding is often characterized by institutional weakness or polarizing incumbents, but what about the topic of backsliding due to religious proliferation? In...

Albania is on a slow authoritarian spiral

Oct 31, 2023 | Salem State University

Former Prime Minister of Albania Sali Berisha and his son-in-law Jamarber Maltezzi are embroiled in corruption scandals. Berisha is charged with money laundering and corruption in a scheme involving...

The 2023 Elections in Zimbabwe and Growing Authoritarianism

Oct 30, 2023 | Salem State University

The August 2023 presidential election in Zimbabwe resulted in the reelection of the current ZANU-PF President, Emmerson Mnangagwa. This will be his second and final five-year term. However, many...

How the Belt and Road Initiative is Spreading Authoritarianism

Oct 30, 2023 | Salem State University

By Luciano Hoxhaj In 2013, President Xi Jinping of China launched the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a project that has seen the development of Chinese physical and technological infrastructure...

Dying Democracy in Israel

Oct 30, 2023 | Arizona State University

***Note from the author: My post is meant to analyze constructively the state of democratic institutions in Israel and remark on how the current conflict affects this. It is not meant to give...

Speaker of the House and Cause for Concern

Oct 30, 2023 | Arizona State University

Mike Johnson was recently elected as the new speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Johnson is a supporter of former President Trump and had recently filed a lawsuit to overturn the...

Is Bangladesh an Exceptional Case of Democratic Backsliding?

Oct 30, 2023 | Arizona State University

The current regime of Bangladesh ruled by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been categorized as an authoritarian regime by the V-Dem Institute, a democracy research organization. According to the...

Malaysia’s Institutional, Socio-cultural, and Foreign Challenges to Democracy

Oct 29, 2023 | Arizona State University

The case of Malaysian politics is a fascinating subject. In 2023, V-Dem considered Malaysia an electoral autocracy, although the report also stated it appears to be currently facing an upward...

Georgia’s Gerrymandering, Legal Institutions, and Democratic Backsliding

Oct 29, 2023 | Arizona State University

A federal judge ruled that Georgia’s congressional and state legislative districts must be redrawn prior to the 2024 election. The report concluded that the Republican-drawn political maps, which...

Don’t Cry Wolf About Threats To Democracy

Oct 29, 2023 | Arizona State University

In the past few years, we’ve witnessed many serious threats to American democracy. Some that loom large include: the January 6 Capitol riot, President Trump’s “perfect phone call” to Georgia...