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.
3,366 Articles
How Secretary Mullin Can Reform DHS
If Secretary Mullin is serious about reforming DHS, then he should consider the following list of suggestions, based on information provided by whistleblowers.
Claude and the Constitution: Questions Congress Should Ask Before Renewing Section 702
Experts share questions Congress, journalists, and the public should ask executive branch officials on surveillance authorities.
AI Needs Accountability. We Can’t Rely on Companies and Governments Alone.
In a functioning democracy, citizens don’t fear who is in power because rules, not rulers, hold sway. The same principle should govern the future of AI.
The Trump Administration’s Strategy for Reshaping Elections
The 2026 midterms is a critical test for whether election outcomes are determined by the will of the voters or by who controls the machinery of elections.
Cuba Libre: One Man’s Morality or Our Law?
We former JAGs must find new ways to examine, protest, and talk to our fellow Americans about this administration’s flagrant and accelerating misuse of the armed forces.
DHS’s Revolving Door: The Need for Experienced Leadership in Dangerous Times
DHS sits at the center of a rapidly converging threat landscape. Now more than any time since DHS’s history, it begs for an extraordinary leadership team.
Ban Pay-to-Play National Security Approvals
Congress must ban demands for payment to the government for national-security related approvals and prohibit companies from making these payments.
Criminal Justice Reform Didn’t End — It Decentralized
While federal rhetoric and policy have shifted sharply in a punitive direction, state governments continue to serve as the primary engines of criminal justice reform.
Hegseth Didn’t Revive an Ancient Warrior Ethos. He Repeated an American Pattern.
Hegseth's "no quarter" statement indicates how some in the Pentagon perceive the Iran war. "No quarter" language in US history has appeared when war turns colonial or racial.
The “Presumption of Regularity” in Trump Administration Litigation (4th edition)
The most comprehensive study of court cases involving the Trump administration from January 20, 2025 to present
![Close-up of several metal handguns laid side by side on a table, their barrels and triggers visible in tight rows, representing some of the thousands of weapons seized by the Mexican Army from drug traffickers in northern Mexico in January 2017. Gun reads: "U.S.A. [...] Springfield, Mass."](https://i0.wp.com/www.justsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-631911044.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1)
Firearms Trafficking Comes to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in Recent Advisory Opinion
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights' recent advisory opinion addresses the obligations of States and private actors to prevent and combat illicit trafficking of firearms.
Facing Russian Hybrid Threats in Advance of Elections, Armenia Struggles to Maintain Pro-U.S. and EU Path
Armenia's election is an opportunity for the country to chart a course for peace and democracy. But Russia is trying to thwart that path, and U.S. and EU help is needed.