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.

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3,399 Articles
A crowd gathers around a man (not seen) who had been beaten by a crowd because they suspected him of taking part in a thwarted "terrorist" attack on the military base in the background, in Kati, Mali, on July 22, 2022. The Malian army said it had thwarted the alleged "terrorist" attack on the base, which is located on the outskirts of the capital and is used by the military junta that rules Mali.

The Failing Response to Violent Extremism in Africa – and the Need to Reform the International Approach

Militant groups recruit where predatory governments alienate youth, exclude vulnerable groups, and rule with violent impunity.

Gorbachev: The Leader We Needed in My Time

Then-General Counsel of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency Amb. Thomas Graham Jr. recalls the landmark signing of the INF Treaty.
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The UN’s Summit of the Future: Advancing Multilateralism in an Age of Hypercompetitive Geopolitics

The Summit of the Future is an important litmus test for the future of multilateralism.

Tech Firms Promise to Address Hate and Extremism, Again

New initiatives announced at the White House’s 'United We Stand' Summit.
An airplane flies over a line of national flags.

National Security Creep in Cross-Border Investments

There has been a recent bipartisan shift to frame economic issues—among many others—in national security terms.
A child stands near two US army vehicles, which carry American flags. Nearby is a male American military officer.

How the FY23 NDAA Can Strengthen Oversight and Transparency of U.S. Security Assistance and Civilian Harm (Part II)

The draft NDAA contains a number of important provisions for preventing and responding to civilian harm.
People hold a banner as riot police patrols in background during a march called by the UAS union to call for better security measures against terrorism, in Ouagadougou on September 16, 2019. (Photo by IISSOUF SANOGO/AFP via Getty Images)

Preventing Violent Extremism in Africa: The Overlooked Role of Mayors and the Governments They Lead

As security-heavy tactics fail, a more localized strategy is needed to focus on socio-economic and political grievances that fuel extremism.
Trump boards Marine One as he departs the White House on January 20, 2021 in Washington, DC. A person in military uniform salutes him as he passes.

The Absence of Any Executive Privilege by a Former President For National Security Secrets

The landmark Supreme Court case that both sides point to — Nixon v. GSA — has an even more important lesson.
A line of US soldiers walk in the countryside of the town of al-Malikiya in Syria.

Tit-for-Tat Hostilities In Syria: War Powers and International Law Implications

The Biden administration's latest war powers report to Congress and letter to the UN Security Council raise questions about the domestic and international legal basis for hostilities…
Muslim Uyghurs hold pictures of their relatives detained in China during a press conference in Istanbul, on May 10, 2022. The signs behind them say "Close the Chinese Concentration Camps" and "Rescue Our Families From Camps." Turkey's Uyghur community urged UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet to probe so-called "re-education camps" during a long-delayed visit to China that month, including to Xingjiang, where Western lawmakers have accused Beijing of genocide and crimes against humanity. Bachelet subsequently released her report on Aug. 31. (Photo by OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images)

A UN Report Implicates the Chinese Government in Crimes Against Humanity. What Comes Next?

Governments and UN bodies must act swiftly to hold the Chinese government accountable and protect those who are speaking out.
US Representative Liz Cheney speaks flanked by US Representative Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House committee investigating the Capitol riot.

Citizens Guide to January 6th Hearings: Comprehensive Account of the Evidentiary Record

A 28-page guide to the January 6th Committee’s findings to date and other publicly available information.
Haitians protesting high prices and shortages burn tires on a street of Port-au-Prince on July 13, 2022, as a motorcyclist rides by in front of shopfronts. Soaring prices, food and fuel shortages and rampant gang violence are accelerating a brutal downward spiral in the security situation in the Haitian capital Port au Prince, and threatening the humanitarian aid the increasingly desperate population relies on. (Photo by RICHARD PIERRIN/AFP via Getty Images)

As Haiti’s Henry Refuses Checks on Power, the US Should Aid Efforts to Build True Democracy

The Montana Accord would establish an inclusive transitional government that can rebuild damaged institutions and inspire Haitians’ trust.
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