Autocratic Legalism Kim Lane Scheppele //free\\ Jun 2026

Scheppele defines autocratic legalism as the deliberate use of legal and constitutional engineering to implement an illiberal agenda. These leaders come to power through free and fair elections and then use their mandates to:

Scheppele argues that modern autocrats—most notably Viktor Orbán in Hungary and Vladimir Putin in Russia—do not seize power through a dramatic coup d'état. There are no tanks in the streets. Instead, they manipulate the legal system from the inside. autocratic legalism kim lane scheppele