Democratic Backsliding: Constitutional Law versus Authoritarian Politics Efficient Secrets

Where democracies have collapsed, or never existed, constitutions and laws continue to exist and may still provide some protection to citizens. On the other hand, they may be subverted to serve the ends of autocrats. Can constitutional law still be a force for democracy in military regimes? How are constitutional norms and conventions shaped by non-democratic contexts? Do courts respond to public opinion even where the government is no longer elected?