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.

Identity Survival Amongst Democratically Eroded Ethno-Religious Conflicts

When politics between religious governments turn into a contest for identity survival, democracy institutions stop being referees and start becoming weapons.

Poland’s Democratic Decline Was Reversible

In 2015, Poland experienced a significant decrease in democracy. The Law and Justice Party (PiS), under Jaroslaw Kaczyński’s leadership, secured victories in both the presidential and parliamentary elections. In a matter of months, the government acted to diminish the...

Selective Support of the Courts: How Elite Driven Narratives in Brazil Undermine the Courts Perceived Legitimacy

The SAVE America Act and Its Implications on Electoral Democracy in the U.S.

Mar 9, 2026 | University of Houston

Introduction After his defeat in the 2020 Presidential election, Donald Trump immediately began to protest against the outcome, claiming fraud and subsequently filing...

The Elimination of Autonomous Agencies and Democratic Erosion within Mexico

Mar 9, 2026 | Featured, University of Houston

In November 2024, Mexico’s government dismantled one of its most important democratic transparency institutions. Through a constitutional reform, the government dissolved...

Ortega’s Obstruction of Fair Process in Nicaragua

Dec 4, 2022 | SUNY-Binghamton

Nicaragua is a coastal country in Central America founded in 1821 after gaining independence from Spain, then joining the Mexican...

This Musk Be a Joke

Dec 4, 2022 | SUNY-Binghamton

“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...

How Conspiracy Theories Helped Putin Secure Power

Dec 4, 2022 | SUNY-Binghamton

Since Vladimir Putin has had his hand in Russian politics, he has peddled in conspiratorial thinking to help himself gain support and power within his country and the world. Russia has regained its...

Dec 2, 2022 | SUNY-Binghamton

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...

Democratic Erosion University Course Student Blog

Identity Survival Amongst Democratically Eroded Ethno-Religious Conflicts

Poland’s Democratic Decline Was Reversible

Selective Support of the Courts: How Elite Driven Narratives in Brazil Undermine the Courts Perceived Legitimacy

The SAVE America Act and Its Implications on Electoral Democracy in the U.S.

The Elimination of Autonomous Agencies and Democratic Erosion within Mexico

Ortega’s Obstruction of Fair Process in Nicaragua

This Musk Be a Joke

How Conspiracy Theories Helped Putin Secure Power

Egypt Still Has a Pharaoh: The Al-Sisi Regime

“Make Spain Great Again”… Sounds Familiar?

How Twitter’s Free Speech Policy for Populists Hurts American Democracy

Vox, Populism, and Polarization: A Potential Threat to Spanish Democracy

Democratic Erosion in Mexico: AMLO Weakens the Rule of Law

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