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:

Dodik, at right, shakes hands with Putin to the left, with another figure in the back left of the frame, in an ornately decorated room.

U.S. Lifts Sanctions on Putin-Backed Bosnian Serb Separatist Leader

The Trump administration's sanctions removal for Bosnian Serb separatist Milorad Dodik precedes a Russia-Led U.N. Security Council meeting.
Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands after the signing of memorandums of understanding during a meeting with business leaders at the U.S. Ambassador's Residence on October 28, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The $550 Billion Shadow Budget: Trump’s Japan Deal and the Disappearing Appropriations Clause

The deal circumvents the Appropriations Clause and congressional safeguards designed to enforce it, creating a system answerable only to the White House.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr (C) speaks with Murad Ebrahim (3rd R), then-chief minister of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), as Nur Misuari (3rd L), leader of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), looks on during the ceremonial opening of the Bangsamoro Transitional Authority (BTA) in Cotabato City, in the southern Philippines on September 15, 2022. (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Post-Conflict Election in the Southern Philippines Postponed for Third Time: Is Peace Unraveling?

A third postponement of elections for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao endangers a peace accord that ended a brutal war.
Members of the Texas National Guard are seen at the Elwood Army Reserve Training Center on October 07, 2025 in Elwood, Illinois. The Trump administration has been threatening for more than a month to send the guard to Illinois to address Chicago's crime problem and to support ICE and CBP during Operation Midway Blitz. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has been outspoken in his opposition to the move, accusing the president of using the guardsmen as political pawns. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The Supreme Court: the Last Defense Against Trump’s Military Police State

The Supreme Court must not shirk its obligation to ensure that presidents cannot conscript the military in an effort to undermine democracy.
Crew members of the US Navy warship USS Sampson (DDG 102) are pictured at the Amador International Cruise Terminal in Panama City on September 02, 2025. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on September 1, 2025, that eight US military vessels with 1,200 missiles were targeting his country, which he declared to be in a state of "maximum readiness to defend" itself. (Photo by MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP via Getty Images)

The Caribbean Strikes and the Collapse of Legal Oversight in U.S. Military Operations

Congress and the public must do more to address the dangerous pressures imposed on servicemembers and defend the guardrails that protect both U.S. forces and democracy.

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.
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3,155 Articles
Gavel and scales with a US flag in the background as symbols of a jurisdiction.

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.
A billboard shows a caricature of Russian President Vladimir Putin pulling the ropes of then-fugitive oligarchs Ilan Shor (R) and Vladimir Plahotniuc (L), as if they are puppets, above words reading "They ask for your vote." The billboard was displayed in Ungheni city on September 24, 2025. (Photo by DANIEL MIHAILESCU/AFP via Getty Images)

How Tech Platforms Allowed Russia Into Moldova: Lessons for the EU and Others

What played out across social media throughout Moldova's recent election exposed how easily disinformation fills the gaps between state regulation and platform indifference. 
The Washington Monument reflects in the Capitol Reflecting Pool at sunset on a warm evening on June 2, 2025 in Washington, DC.(Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)

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.
Binders of executive orders stacked on a desk.

Collection: Just Security’s Coverage of Trump Administration Executive Actions

Coverage of key developments, including in concise “What Just Happened” expert explainers, legal and policy analysis, and more. Check back frequently for updates.
Georgian opposition leaders address people during a protest

Distorted Laws on “Foreign Agents” Threaten Democracy: Mobilizing a Response

Civil society can share knowledge, boost public support, and build coalitions to resist the spread of autocratic "foreign agents" laws.
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 9: The U.S, Capitol Building seen at dusk on June 9, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)

Should Inspectors General be Moved to the Legislative Branch?

Almost immediately upon taking office for his second term, President Donald Trump unlawfully fired 17 inspectors general (IGs), and over the course of this year has taken actions…
The Just Security Podcast Cover Image

The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part III

Tess Bridgeman is joined by Rebecca Ingber and Brian Finucane to assess the latest strikes, the brief detention of two survivors, where the campaign may be headed, and what…
Collage of images pertaining to artificial intelligence

Just Security’s Artificial Intelligence Archive

Just Security's collection of articles analyzing the implications of AI for society, democracy, human rights, and warfare.
A collage of images featuring scenes from the Russia - Ukraine War.

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.

The “Presumption of Regularity” in Trump Administration Litigation

A comprehensive study of court cases involving the Trump administration from January 20, 2025 to present
Federal agents keep protestors back from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility

When Deference is No Longer Due

Reasons for historical deference to the executive branch's judgement in matters of national security and foreign affairs have been severely undermined.
Abstract image of human eye with retinal circuit on a black background.

Weaponizing the Espionage Act: What It Means for Whistleblowers, Reporters, and Democracy

How the Trump administration could weaponize the Espionage Act and its chilling effect to control the press and justify suppression.
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