When a Government Defies Its Own Supreme Court

On July 5, 2026, the Israeli government voted unanimously to defy a Supreme Court ruling ordering the reinstatement of the Second Authority Council for Television and Radio. This isn't just another political fight — it's what political scientists call a constitutional crisis. In this episode, we trace the concept from Carl Schmitt's "Political Theology" to Bruce Ackerman's distinction between constitutional moments and crises, and examine the specific mechanism at work: two branches of government, both claiming interpretive authority, with no agreed-upon referee. We also unpack the "sucker's payoff problem" — why a government that ignores court orders signals to every citizen that compliance is optional, and how that unravels the social contract itself.