Entrenchment: Wealth, Power, and the Constitution of Democratic Societies

Placeholder author icon
By Paul Starr

Published June 17, 2019

In today’s high-stakes political environment, entrenchment—efforts to implement change in ways opponents will find difficult to reverse—is at the heart of new laws and court cases. In Entrenchment: Wealth, Power, and the Constitution of Democratic Societies  (Yale University Press), Paul Starr analyzes historical examples, such as overcoming slavery, and examines how foundational societal changes become hard to reverse in contemporary democracies.

Paw in print

Image
The February 2026 cover of PAW, featuring a photo of Joseph Nye.
The Latest Issue

February 2026

Lives Lived & Lost in 2025, Saying ’yes’ to more housing; AI startup stars