Successor Paranoia Drives Executive Overreach

When leaked historical wrongdoing targets predecessors, contemporary leaders may react not as beneficiaries of the revelations but as threatened incumbents; that fear of institutional vulnerability can prompt preemptive, punitive, or illegal measures that degrade governance. This dynamic helps explain why administrations sometimes escalate against press and whistleblowers even when the revealed wrongdoing is primarily in the past. — Recognizing 'successor paranoia' reframes debates over leaks and press freedom by showing how institutional self‑preservation—not content alone—can drive abuse of executive power.