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...

Have The New Immigration Policies Made the United States Fall Into Democratic Erosion?

Mar 28, 2026 | Suffolk University

Have the New Immigration Policies Made the United States Fall Into Democratic Erosion? By Stephanie Moran Since Trump has become president of the United States, he...

How Recent Discriminatory Kansas Legislation is Accelerating Democratic Backsliding in the U.S.

Mar 28, 2026 | Suffolk University

For many across the globe, the United States of America has long been the shining ideal of a free and democratic society. However, recent voter-suppressing...

Voters Behind Bars: How Felon Disenfranchisement Weakens American Democracy

Apr 30, 2023 | University of Utah

The disenfranchisement of felons is paving the way for America’s democratic backsliding. Repealing these undemocratic laws will help to reinvigorate the American electorate’s investment in...

Leveraging External Issues to Support Democracy: How the Fight for Abortion Rights Protected Democracy in Wisconsin

Apr 28, 2023 | University of Utah

In 2010, Republicans won a series of state legislative races in Wisconsin which allowed for them to redraw district lines to their own advantage; this strategy cemented their power in the state for...

The Greater Idaho Movement is Tearing Oregon Apart

Apr 27, 2023 | University of Utah

In the minds of most Americans, states are indissoluble bodies, bound by ties stronger even than those which bind the Union herself. Even in times where talk of secession has become cheap once...

Hanging By A Thread: Democracy in Peru

Apr 27, 2023 | University of Utah

On December 7th, the Peruvian Congress removed sitting President Pedro Castillo from office after he announced plans to shut down congress. This presidential announcement came hours before Castillo...

Felon Disenfranchisement and Subversion of the Black Electorate

Apr 27, 2023 | University of Utah

Beginning after Reconstruction—when Black men were granted the right to vote—the implementation of voter disenfranchisement laws crept across the United States in the form of poll taxes, literacy...

Libel Suits are an Effective Legal Tool to Combat Disinformation

Apr 26, 2023 | University of Utah

The spread of disinformation related to the Big Lie conspiracy perpetuated by Trump, and his allies, including Right-wing media networks, helped spur the 'Stop the Steal Movement' and the rioters...

COVID-19: A Pandemic of Misinformation

Apr 25, 2023 | University of Utah

The COVID-19 pandemic was not only a pandemic of a virus, but also a pandemic of misinformation and disinformation. During the year 2020, it was not uncommon to log onto social media sites or sit...

A Defamation Lawsuit Against Fox News and What That Means Moving Forward

Apr 24, 2023 | University of Utah

Dominion Voting Systems has created a court filing in a lawsuit against Fox News under a defamation claim regarding the 2020 presidential election. The lawsuit, which was filed in March 2021,...

Independent State Legislature Theory and its Effects on Democracy in the United States

Apr 21, 2023 | University of Utah

After the 2020 census, North Carolina gained a 14th seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. This meant the Republican-led state legislature was able to redraw the House Congressional districts,...