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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3,364 Articles
FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies during a hearing before Senate Judiciary Committee at Hart Senate Office Building on March 2, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. He speaks into a microphone and gestures with a hand.

Facebook Provided Warning to FBI Before January 6, GAO Report Reveals

The GAO report's findings raise questions about statements by FBI Director Christopher Wray in previous testimony to Congress.
A man carries a banner during a demonstration at Ojota in Lagos on June 12, 2021, as Nigerian activists called for nationwide protests over what they criticise as bad governance and insecurity, as well as the recent ban of US social media platform Twitter by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari. - Hundreds of protesters gathered on June 12, 2021 in Lagos, a sprawling megapolis of over 20 million people, and police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. (Photo by PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / AFP) (Photo by PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP via Getty Images)

What Elon Musk Does Not Get about Twitter and Democracy in Africa

Deferring to local laws to determine the bounds of free speech on Twitter - and Musk has suggested doing - would jeopardize hard-won democratic freedoms in Africa.

How Cambodia’s Human Rights Crackdown Undermines Regional Security

The upcoming White House summit with ASEAN offers a chance for the US to press on human rights abuses and costly alliances with China.
Workers of El Universo newspaper march carrying a mock coffin in protest towards the government palace in Quito on February 17, 2012, after Ecuador's National Court of Justice (CNJ) confirmed a lower court ruling that sentenced three top El Universo executives and a former opinion page editor Emilio Palacio Urrutia to three years in prison. The lower court awarded President Rafael Correa $40 million in damages. (Photo by CAMILO PAREJA/AFP via Getty Images)

The Beginning of the End for Criminal Defamation in the Americas? The El Universo Case

The judgment strengthens media freedom by repudiating a historic legal tool to stifle dissent and flagging the need for legislative measures.
Workers of El Universo newspaper march carrying a mock coffin in protest towards the government palace in Quito on February 17, 2012, after Ecuador's National Court of Justice (CNJ) confirmed a lower court ruling that sentenced three top El Universo executives and a former opinion page editor Emilio Palacio Urrutia to three years in prison. The lower court awarded President Rafael Correa $40 million in damages. (Photo by CAMILO PAREJA/AFP via Getty Images)

¿El principio del fin de la difamación penal en las Américas? El caso de El Universo

El fallo del Tribunal es verdaderamente importante para la libertad de los medios de comunicación de la región.
Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Enrique Mora arrives at the Coburg Palace, venue of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) meeting.

To Check Iran’s Missiles, JCPOA Re-Entry is a Must

Iran’s missile program is a cause for international concern. Just last month, Iran launched a missile attack on Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdish region; in January 2020,…
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Still at War: The United States in Syria

It is time to reconsider U.S. strategic objectives in Syria and the legal basis for the use of force there.

Tunisia’s Democratic Backsliding and Economic Woes Illustrate the Limits of Transition

Transitional justice mechanisms confronted bad timing, political infighting, and demands for structural changes that drove the revolution.
Former Facebook employee sits at a desk whilst testifying during a Senate committee hearing.

As Congress Debates Social Media Harms, Here’s How to Make Online Consent Meaningful

"Reform the law so that companies must provide more meaningful information in their privacy notices and terms of service."
A dark shadow strikes Steve Bannon across his face. An obscure figure stands behind him.

What Kind of Guilty Mind is Needed for the Criminal Contempt of Congress Statute?

An expert backgrounder on the Steve Bannon criminal case and the law of what prosecutors need to prove to get a conviction for contempt of Congress.
A Ukrainian serviceman stands in a hall at a damaged local cultural center in Rubizhne, Ukraine.

How Can We Protect Cultural Heritage in Ukraine? Five Key Steps for the Int’l Community

When a government denies the cultural legitimacy of a specific community, a powerful act of political resistance is to protect that identity.
A Ukrainian serviceman stands in a hall at a damaged local cultural center in Rubizhne, Ukraine.

Як ми можемо захистити культурну спадщину в Україні? П’ять основних кроків для міжнародної спільноти

Коли уряд заперечує культурну легітимність певної спільноти, потужним актом політичного опору…
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