The Hollow Establishment: Reflections on Authority, Privilege and The Erosion of Trust

Why do institutions fail when they appear strongest?

In The Hollow Establishment, Peter Scraton argues that democracies do not collapse from external attacks, but from internal erosion. When elites exempt themselves from the rules they enforce, trust drains away-not with a bang, but with a quiet hollowing out.

From the Epstein scandal to the Post Office Horizon crisis, and even football governance, this book traces the "Hollowing Cycle" across politics, business, and sport. Scraton reveals ho...