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.

× Clear Filters
3,165 Articles
screenshot of podcast episode 107

The Just Security Podcast: Regulating Social Media — Is it Lawful, Feasible, and Desirable?

Is it lawful, feasible, and desirable for government actors to regulate social media platforms? A conversation with leading experts at the NYU Law Forum.
Judge James E. Boasberg, chief judge of the Federal District Court in DC, stands for a portrait at E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse

Dissecting the Trump Administration’s Strategy for Defying Court Orders

The Trump administration is banking on Americans giving it a pass on violating District Chief Judge Judge Boasberg's court order.
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) (C) and fellow Senate Democrats hold photographs of constituents they say are negatively impacted by President Donald Trump's actions during his first month in office outside U.S. Capitol on March 04, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Congress Spotlight: The Minority’s Toolbox and a Possible Way Forward

The minority’s powers in Congress are limited—they cannot call hearings or issue subpoenas. But they do have a wide menu of options.

The New “Blacklists” Work When Law Firms Stay Silent

In a recent internal memo, Brad Karp, the chairman of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, defended the firm’s refusal to challenge a presidential executive order targeting…
Collage of the AP logo (L), a courtroom (M), and Columbia University (R)

The Imperative of Solidarity in Response to Assaults on Legal Services, Universities, and Independent Media

"Around the globe who have had decades of experience in navigating a world where simply looking out for one’s own best interests is insufficient for individual or collective…
A police officer shows a gun

What A Corrupt Police Network in the Dominican Republic Reveals About Arms Trafficking

How do arms trafficking and state corruption networks in Latin America operate, and how they can be disrupted?
A man walks in front of the Supreme Court building at dusk.

The Courts Can Stop Abuse of the Alien Enemies Act – the Political Question Doctrine is No Bar

Many of the emergency powers a president could unlock through pretextual invocations and arbitrary proclamations are injurious to a free, fair, and democratic society. The courts…
Signage for US broadcaster Voice of America with the subheading "A Free Press Matters"

Trump Move to Eliminate VOA, RFE/RL Ignores Lessons of Global Power

The world needs Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) broadcast and online outlets now more than ever.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's current headquarters in Prague in March 2020.

Journalists Who Took Risks for US-Funded Broadcasters Threatened Anew by Trump Shutdown

The political and human risks of shutting down Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Voice of America and their fellow US-funded media outlets.
Activists hold a rally and march through downtown

U.S. AI-Driven “Catch and Revoke” Initiative Threatens First Amendment Rights

The State Department's AI-enabled "Catch and Revoke" initiative will dissuade individuals from exercising First Amendment-protected activities.
Alsu Kurmasheva at a trial at the Sovetski court.

The US Government’s Self-Harm in Killing Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

RFE/RL's decades-long record of success demands something other than summary termination based on unsupported accusations.
Protesters demonstrate during a candle light vigil

Duterte at the ICC: A Significant Step Toward Justice in the Philippines

Last week, what had long seemed impossible to victims seeking justice for the killings from the Philippine “war on drugs” finally happened: the ICC's arrest of former President…
1-12 of 3,165 items

DON'T MISS A THING. Stay up to date with Just Security curated newsletters: