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“Sovereign is he who decides the exception.”
— Carl Schmitt (Political Theology: Four Chapters on the Concept of Sovereignty, 1922)
EL PODER EN TIEMPOS DE EXCEPCIÓN
The prolonged use of emergency powers can turn exception into a habitual way of governing, weakening democracy.
The word “crisis” has become part of governments’ everyday vocabulary. Pandemics, wars, terrorism, mass migration or natural disasters justify urgent measures.
In those moments, states resort to so-called emergency powers, which allow them to act quickly in the face of the unexpected. The problem begins when that exception ceases to be temporary and becomes a habitual mode of governance.
El poder en tiempos de excepción
The prolonged use of emergency powers can turn exception into a habitual way of governing, weakening democracy.
The word “crisis” has become part of governments’ everyday vocabulary. Pandemics, wars, terrorism, mass migration or natural disasters justify urgent measures.
In those moments, states resort to so-called emergency powers, which allow them to act quickly in the face of the unexpected. The problem begins when that exception ceases to be temporary and becomes a habitual mode of governance.
Welcome to the Institute.
Greetings! It is with deep humility and a strong sense of purpose that I formally welcome you to the Institute for the Study of States of Exception (ISSE). ISSE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing scholarship and dialogue on the misuse and abuse of states of exception worldwide–scenarios when laws or even entire constitutions are suspended under purported emergency circumstances, but in reality are intentionally framed improperly to enable democratic backsliding.