Democracy & Rule of Law
Just Security’s expert authors provide analysis on threats and challenges to democracy and the rule of law in the United States and globally. Coverage includes analysis of the separation of powers, good governance, democratic backsliding, authoritarianism, judicial independence, freedom of the press and association, and accountability for rule of law violations.
Highlights:
The Just Security Podcast: Is there a Fox in the Henhouse? A Comparative Perspective of State Capture in the U.S.
Dani Schulkin is joined by Naomi Roht-Arriaza to discuss the warning signs of state capture and grand corruption, and what can be done to push back against it.
The Just Security Podcast: Examining the Trump Administration’s New Antifa Designations
Tom Joscelyn talks with former DOJ counsel Tom Brzozowski about new Antifa designations, their civil liberties impact, and changing limits on speech and association.
Collection: U.S. Lethal Strikes on Suspected Drug Traffickers
Collection of expert analysis on the legality of the U.S. strike on Venezuelan vessels in the Caribbean, the consequences of the strike, and related issues.
The Global Retreat from Content Moderation Is Endangering Free Expression: Kenya Shows Why
By abandoning proactive content moderation, platforms are accelerating a global slide toward censorship — the very outcome they claim to oppose.
Timeline of Vessel Strikes and Related Actions
A timeline that chronicles major events in the Trump administration’s campaign of lethal strikes against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
The “Presumption of Regularity” in Trump Administration Litigation
A comprehensive study of court cases involving the Trump administration from January 20, 2025 to present
3,171 Articles
Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions
A public resource tracking all the legal challenges to the Trump administration's executive orders and actions.
Persecuting the Prosecutors: Israel’s Military Lawyers Under Pressure
The weakening of the Military Advocate General affects the IDF's ability to carry out its missions lawfully, and the broader protection of the rule of law in Israel.
How to End the Shadow Budget and Protect Congress’s Power of the Purse
Unless Congress reasserts control over federal spending, the balance the framers designed could collapse into a self-financing presidency.
Just Security’s Russia–Ukraine War Archive
A catalog of over 100 articles (many with Ukrainian translations) on the Russia Ukraine War -- law, diplomacy, policy options, and more.
Normalizing Far-Right Ideologies in the Western Balkans: Croatia’s Role at Home and Abroad
The Croatian government appears to be embracing far-right actions at home and abroad as it undermines neighboring Bosnia's sovereignty and democracy.
State Dept’s Foreign Terrorist Designations Undermine Claims of “Antifa” Threat
Leading counter-extremism expert unpacks the administration's claimed designation of "Antifa Groups"
Is the U.S. Becoming a Captured State? A Comparative Perspective
Patterns of state capture in South Africa, El Salvador, Sri Lanka and Guatemala offer a cautionary guide for the United States.
The International Law Obligation of States to Stop Intelligence Support for U.S. Boat Strikes
The only way States can avoid complicity in “arbitrary killings” under international human rights law is to refrain from sharing intelligence that, in part, enables them.
Soldiers in Robes: Why Military Lawyers Can Not and Should Not Serve as Immigration Judges
DOJ’s recent decision to appoint several military lawyers, or JAGs, to serve as immigration judges is not only against the law, but a bad idea.
The Year Every Young American Should Serve
We should create universal access to national service: a year-long opportunity for every young American. The unity and future of our democracy demands it.
The Anti-Corruption Tracker: Mapping the Erosion of Oversight and Accountability
This Anti-Corruption Tracker focuses on the erosion or dismantling of oversight and accountability systems within the United States Executive Branch.
Impunity by Design: Latin America’s Quiet Crisis of Accountability
Across Latin America, political elites are quietly passing laws that narrow definitions, shield allies, and block legal pathways to investigate corruption and organized crime.