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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3,333 Articles
Ships from countries participating in exercise Sea Breeze 2018 sail in formation during a photo exercise in the Black Sea, July 13.

Montreux Convention, at 85, Needs Tending for US-NATO-Russia Security and Stability

It would be self-defeating if allies where to push back on Russian challenges to the rules-based order by undermining a rare example of it.
A long list blown up in poster size of "public complaints" against Facebook policies, including the social media giant's political stances, data security lapses, politicization, privacy violations and misinformation, is taped to the outside of their office building during a protest led by the organization Public Citizen in Washington, DC, May 25, 2021.

Facebook’s New Dangerous Individuals and Organizations Policy Brings More Questions Than Answers

The company has responded to criticism with clarifications and revisions, but the rules require a fundamental rethink.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Belarusian human rights activist and politician who ran for the 2020 Belarusian presidential election, delivers a speech during the Sakharov in the European Parliament on December 16, 2020 in Brussels, Belgium. Sviatlana stands at a podium in front of a sign reading, “The democratic opposition in Belarus.”

Can Belarus Be Free? Yes, But the West Will Need to Show More Resolve – and Less Fear of Putin

Lukashenka is escalating his repression, defying the West, even as democratically elected leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visit Washington.
Mo Brooks talks at a podium with the sign “Save America” and gestures into the air. American flags stand on either side of him. He wears a red hat that says, “Fire Pelosi”

Swalwell v. Trump and the Legitimate Scope of Federal Employment

Expert who wrote that case law favors Trump in getting DOJ legal shield in E Jean Carroll case, writes why that doesn't apply in Jan. 6 lawsuits.
A cylindrical cipher device.

Encryption Originalism

Encryption originalism views strong encryption as the modern reemergence of Founding Era practice of employing—often unbreakable—ciphers.
Supporters of Zhou Xiaoxuan, a feminist figure who rose to prominence during China’s #MeToo movement two years ago, display posters as they wait for Zhou outside the Haidian District Peoples Court in Beijing on December 2, 2020, in a sexual harassment case against one of China's best-known television hosts.

Feminist Foreign Policy: One Path Forward in U.S.-China Relations

The Biden-Harris administration can elevate the role of feminist organizations in China and the voices of women in both countries.
The secondary entry in the Department of Justice Building in Washington, DC. An American flag hangs above the entryway and words etched over the doorway read, “The place of justice is a hallowed place.”

Restoring Justice to DOJ

Healing Trump-era wounds at DOJ will require understanding the extent of the abuse and taking specific steps to prevent repetition.
The U.S. Department of Justice Building, where the Office of Legal Counsel resides.

Long-Withheld Office of Legal Counsel Records Reveal Agency’s Postwar Influence

The Knight Institute is publishing 14 indexes cataloging the titles of more than a thousand unclassified opinions authored by the OLC between 1945 and 1958.
Large ships and small boats at the Asia World deep sea port in downtown Yangon on March 16, 2016 in Yangon, Burma.

Beyond the Coup in Myanmar: The Tatmadaw Must Be Hit Where it Hurts – Its Wallet

It's time for the the world to cut off Myanmar junta's access to international markets, writes Chris Sidoti.
A Misak indigenous man plays a flute in front of police officers during a protest next to the statue of Cristobal Colon on June 09, 2021 in Bogota, Colombia.

OAS Panel Catalogues Colombia’s Rights Abuses, as President Duque Doubles Down

The report and his defiance underline the need for an effective US policy rooted in defending human rights, democracy, and the peace accords.
Police run through the streets with large guns, covered faces, helmets, and camouflage gear near the police station of Petion Ville after Haitian president Jovenel Moïse was murdered on July 08, 2021 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Bystanders take video or pictures with phones. Small fires burn in the street.

An Appeal to President Biden: Change Course on Haiti Now

The brazen assassination of serving President Moïse reinforces the need for the US to back Haitians in crafting their own future.
A podium with microphones in front of the Haitian flag.

To Save Haiti’s Democracy, Don’t Hold Elections

"The negative election loop has become a death loop in Haiti and must not become the baseline for the next electoral cycle, which could cost many Haitians their lives and could…
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