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...

The Rise of Independent Voters: A Crisis of Representation in American Democracy

Mar 23, 2026 | University of Houston

The representation of American’s political identities have been vastly changing over the past two decades. Public polls show that roughly 40 percent of Americans no longer...

Ordinary Americans rescue democracy

Mar 18, 2026 | Tulane University

Do Americans have what it takes to save democracy? Irrefutably, the answer is yes. The second Trump administration has engaged in a variety of measures to steamroll the...

Does Media Coverage of Corruption Help Populists?

Dec 27, 2022 | Skidmore College

Earlier this month, right-wing nationalist Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power in Israel, despite facing multiple federal corruption charges. Many Israelis have expressed deep concern over the...

Is it Elon Musk, Twitter, or the Already Growing Populism in the US?

Dec 27, 2022 | Sabanci University

Blog Post The Case of Hunter Biden’s Laptop Elon Musk recently bought Twitter, a social media platform that has over 200 million users worldwide. After his purchase Musk announced a couple of new...

The Rise of Populism in Myanmar

Dec 26, 2022 | Sabanci University

When Aung San Suu Kyi received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, Myanmar was seen as a specimen of change and of democratisation despite its long history of military rule. More than maybe any other...

White Christian Nationalists “ReAwaken” America

Dec 26, 2022 | Sabanci University

For a little bit over 20 minutes, he enlightened his followers on how to “Save This God-Given Republic” from enemies both foreign and domestic. After he finished his speech, he turned to the crowd...

The Power Vacuum in Regime Transition

Dec 24, 2022 | Skidmore College

The first anniversary of Sudan’s latest military coup has been marked by protests in the capital city of Khartoum, as well as Port Sudan and South Kordofan. On October 26th, the protestors’ call for...

Rishi Sunak and the Post-Post-Racial Politics of Identity

Dec 22, 2022 | Skidmore College

Can Britain's trailblazing new prime minister be more than a wolf in sleek clothing? On October 24th, following the historically short-lived reign of Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak became the third...

Democracy and Climate: The United States and COP27

Dec 21, 2022 | Skidmore College

From November 6 to 18, the United Nations is meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt for the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), known as...

Learning From Silvio Berlusconi’s Reign Over Media

Dec 21, 2022 | Boston University

Precursors In Italian journalism, clearly defined political stances take precedence over objective reporting. Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI), the country’s state-owned broadcaster, designates its...

Covertly Culpable: The Role of Political Norms, Parties, and Legal Institutions in Democratic Erosion

Dec 20, 2022 | University of Denver

It is difficult to understand why a country’s leader would erode the same system that elected him or her to power. One would assume a person would have great respect for and an immense desire to...