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...

Control Over Media Narratives and Global Support for Ukraine

Mar 29, 2026 | Suffolk University

Control Over Media Narratives and Global Support for Ukraine The Russian Ukrainian Conflict is a prime example of the modern decline in democracy globally, though not in the...

When Discretion Replaces Equality: How Immigration Enforcement Threatens Democracy

Mar 29, 2026 | Suffolk University

When Discretion Replaces Equality: How Immigration Enforcement Threatens Democracy A democracy cannot survive if the law is enforced differently depending on who you are....

Federalism as A Tool for Conflict Resolution in Myanmar’s Democracy

Oct 4, 2023 | School of Public Policy, Chiang Mai University

Historical Background Myanmar is a country of diversity in terms of ethnicities, languages, and religions. There are an estimated 135 indigenous ethnic groups, or more officially organized by the...

“Positive Populism” in Electoral Campaign Overshadowed by Post-Election Reality in Slovenia

Sep 22, 2023 | Sciences Po Paris

In the 2022 parliamentary elections, Janez Janša, a right-wing populist leader of the SDS party was defeated by Robert Golob and his Freedom Movement, a new party on the scene. According to both...

Combatting Russian Disinformation: Estonia’s Response to the War in Ukraine

Aug 13, 2023 | Arizona State University

Co-authored by Sofia Walsh and David Thompson The war in Ukraine was a central theme in the March 2023 Estonian election. Like Ukraine, Estonia has a fraught history with its larger neighbor, both...

Russian Influence Efforts and the ‘Russophobia’ Narrative in the Baltic States; Evidence from Latvia and Georgia.

Jul 27, 2023 | Arizona State University

Co-Authored by Aiselyn Anaya-Hall and John Kaye Since long before the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the world, and particularly the independent states of the...

Crackdown of the Civil Society in Belarus

Jul 24, 2023 | Arizona State University

By Carly Chabrier and Veera Tyhtilä On 23 July 2021, the Ministry of Justice of Belarus forced 43 non-governmental organizations to close and terminate all their activities. Among the...

May 4, 2023 | University of Utah

On a seemingly normal day, America witnessed a threat to democracy. As Joe Biden was gearing up to take office after a turbulent election period, a group of Trump supporters and white supremacists...