The past two years have seen significant updates to Scheppele's work and its reception.
Autocratic legalism occurs when a leader with authoritarian ambitions uses their democratic mandate to launch a systematic attack on the institutions that are supposed to check their power. Unlike old-school dictators, autocratic legalists: autocratic legalism kim lane scheppele upd
Consequences for democracy Autocratic legalism neutralizes institutional constraints while producing plausible deniability: leaders can claim to be acting lawfully. This erodes public trust, weakens independent institutions, and reduces avenues for peaceful political contestation. Over time, the legal system itself becomes an instrument of repression — impartial procedures exist, but outcomes are predictable. Internationally, autocratic legalism complicates foreign responses because actions often occur within a legal frame, making sanctions or interventions politically and legally fraught. The past two years have seen significant updates