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By Yadira González de Lara, Avner Greif, and Saumitra Jha* state apparatus that has been weakened by this refusal. When administrators have the power to “sanction” a ruler in this way, they may also be able to forestall choices that weaken their relative power. Power can perpetuate. The rule of law can therefore be a manifestation of equilibria with administrators sufficiently powerful to constrain rulers. In such cases, constitutional rules that explicitly articulate a common comprehension of equilibrium rights can reduce conflict between rulers and administrators, while political representation fosters cooperation in changing this common comprehension of rights. The equilibrium distribution of administrative power determines the set of self-enforcing constitutional rules. Thus, constitutional rules are enforced by the credible threat of sanctions by powerful administrators, of which a coordinated citizenry (that provides …