The rule of law (RoL) is typically defined as a series of requirements or legal strategies designed to prevent arbitrary state power and protect citizens from oppression. It mandates that public administration act only within the bounds of the law. There is a distinction between formal-procedural (or “thin”) and material-substantive (or “thick”) requirements of RoL. The former includes stability of legal rules, compliance, and fair enforcement, demanding that the law operate uniformly in identical situations, regardless of legally irrelevant factors such as gender, religion, or political beliefs. The latter encompasses fundamental rights, checks and balances, minority rights, and more. 

The interplay between the RoL and democracy is a subject of ongoing debate. The two concepts were historically closely linked, with the RoL seen as essential for genuine democracy. More recently, some have argued that the RoL might impede true democracy. Populist leaders contend that the principles of fundamental rights, separation of powers, and the inherent generality of legal systems obstruct the expression of the popular will, which they claim is the core of democracy. This tension is also explored in academic discourse through the counter-majoritarian dilemma. In the Central-East European region, political systems that embrace the RoL, like democracies, have been relatively rare and generally emerged after the transitional period post-1990. Recent trends of democratic backsliding and the decline of liberal democracy and constitutionalism have sparked academic and political interest, underscoring the significance of the RoL in public administration. The working group invites both theoretical and empirical papers, including national case studies or comparative analyses, addressing the legal phenomenon and the RoL within administrative settings. Submissions may come from diverse disciplines such as law, public policy, political science, or economics or be interdisciplinary in nature.