Lex rex—Latin for “the law is king”—expresses a foundational principle of human liberty: that the law, rather than the will of any individual ruler, is the ultimate governmental authority. This principle was at the heart of the American Revolution and remains essential to the functioning and endurance of America today. For 250 years, the United States has been tested by political conflict, social change, and institutional challenges, yet the rule of law has remained central to the nation’s constitutional order.

Asa Hutchinson’s distinguished career—as a former US attorney, member of the US House of Representatives, administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under secretary of Homeland Security, and governor of Arkansas—offers a unique perspective from which to examine the lasting significance of lex rex in contemporary America.

Drawing on Hutchinson’s work at the intersection of law, politics, and public service, The Lex Rex Effect explores how the principles of law, justice, and constitutional government underpin democracy. Through personal stories and thoughtful analysis, Hutchinson considers the forces that sustain our democracy and argues for the perennial importance of a system in which the law—not an autocrat’s whim—reigns supreme in the land.

Governor Asa Hutchinson has served in critical law enforcement and national security roles since former President Ronald Reagan appointed him as the nation’s youngest US attorney. After serving Arkansas’s Third District in the House, he was confirmed by the Senate to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration and as the nation’s first under secretary for the Department of Homeland Security. Raised on a small farm near Gravette, he graduated from Bob Jones University and the University of Arkansas School of Law. He and his wife Susan have been married for over fifty years and have four children and seven grandchildren.