To entrench themselves in power, however, governments must do more-they must also change the rules of the game. Authoritarians seeking to consolidate their power often reform the constitution, the electoral system, and other institutions in ways that disadvantage or weaken the opposition, in effect tilting the playing field against their rivals. These reforms are often carried out under the guise of some public good, while in reality they are stacking the deck in favor of incumbents. And because they involve legal and even constitutional changes, they may allow autocrats to lock in these advantages for years and even decades.
To maintain power, governments must act beyond mere control; they need to alter the structural framework within which political competition occurs. Authoritarian leaders often modify constitutions, electoral processes, and institutional structures to create disadvantages for opposing parties. By doing so, they effectively skew the political landscape to favor themselves, disguising these changes as beneficial reforms meant to serve the public interest.
This strategic manipulation allows autocrats to solidify their grip on power, as such reforms often carry legal weight, making them difficult to reverse. The result is a prolonged entrenchment of their advantages, potentially lasting for many years. As outlined in Steven Levitsky's "How Democracies Die," these actions undermine democratic principles while giving autocrats the legal cover needed to suppress dissent.
