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.

The Invisible Line: El Salvador in the Gray Zone between Democracy and Dictatorship

Stealth authoritarianism is the process in which political elites gradually erode democratic systems not through overt force but by manipulation of the public’s fear. In this context, El Salvador has appeared as a representative example. By emphasizing crime reduction...
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The Quiet Death of Democracy: Benin

Benin was once West Africa’s democratic model — now it’s a warning for every democracy that mistakes elections for accountability.

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Young people are becoming increasingly desensitized to war, death, and violence…why is this happening?. 

Young people of today’s world have seen quite a bit. From millions dying from COVID-19, to hundreds of school shootings, and global conflicts where civilian attacks and murders have become commonplace. That’s just to name a few of the ways that the upcoming generation...
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Israel, A Democracy?

Feb 13, 2026 |

Israel is frequently described as “the only democracy in the Middle East,” yet when evaluated through the lens of democratic theory, this claim is quite absurd. Israel...

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Populist Reforms in Mexico

Dec 6, 2022 |

Another populist attempts to strengthen their power through eliminating electoral institutions in Mexico. Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador has used his power in the presidency to...

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This Musk Be a Joke

Dec 4, 2022 |

“Elon Musk he’s such a f***ing moron” (Conover, 2022) said Adam Conover in relation to Elon Musk on the Trillionaire Pod, a podcast. Elon Musk who recently bought Twitter in an effort to “clean...

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Dec 2, 2022 |

Right beneath the noses of citizens of every country in the world, lies a massive, interconnected network where humans are bought and sold, just like any other illicit commodity. The International...

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