Democracy Coalition Project has released a new publication, Regime Change by the Book, that examines how democracies should manage a crisis of leadership without provoking a crisis of regime. Building on the landmark report "Threats to Democracy: Prevention and Response," issued by the Council on Foreign Relations, DCP examines four categories of legal regime change outside of national elections - recall and votes of no confidence, impeachment, succession, and criminalization of unconstitutional seizures of power. The report's premise is that, in order to avoid sliding backwards to authoritarian rule, democratic governments should take steps to ensure continuity of democratic government when political leaders face pressures, sometimes violent, to step down from power. The report offers a set of practical recommendations to politicians, their lawyers and advisors for constitutional reforms which would safeguard democracy during emergencies and further consolidate the rule of law.

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