Law and Society Association President to Give Talk on "The Ruins of Constitutional Government”

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Kim Lane Scheppele, president of the Law and Society Association, will present “In the Ruins of Constitutional Government,” a discussion about democratic citizenries electing leaders who proceed to dismantle previously existing constitutional constraints on the power of the executive, Thursday, March 7 from noon to 2 p.m. in the Great Room of Old Chapel. A buffet lunch will be served during the event, which is free and open to the public, and online advance registration is encouraged.

The Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Sociology & International Affairs at Princeton University, Scheppele’s work focuses on the intersection of constitutional and international law, particularly in constitutional systems under stress. After 9/11, she researched the effects of the international “war on terror” on constitutional protections around the world. Since 2010, she has been documenting the rise of autocratic legalism first in Hungary and then in Poland within the European Union, as well as its spread around the world. Her many publications in law reviews, in social science journals and in many languages cover these topics and others. She is a commentator in the popular press, discussing comparative constitutional law, the state of Europe, the rule of law and the rise of populism, she also probes historical subjects, particularly the historical origin stories that underwrite constitutions.