Power Plays

The Consent Decree Graveyard: When the Government Wins and Nothing Changes

Episode Summary

The Justice Department sues a major institution, wins, and extracts a legally binding agreement to reform it. Then, quietly, almost nothing in that agreement gets enforced — and the institution knows it won't. This episode walks through the specific mechanics of how consent decrees become performance art: who negotiates the exit ramps, how compliance timelines get buried in paperwork, and why the press release announcing the settlement is often the last time anyone pays attention.