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.
3,471 Articles
Can the Secretary of Defense Remove Admirals from a Promotion List?
The legal questions raised by these removals ultimately extend far beyond the careers of the officers involved.
Sanctions Gaps and the Governance of Corruption Risk
U.S. foreign policy expert examines how overlapping U.N., U.S., and EU sanctions regimes create legal gray zones and why that breeds corruption risk.
China’s Global ‘Concierge Services’ to Strengthen Fellow Authoritarians
China's intrusive military, economic, and diplomatic aid to Russia, Iran, and others spreads autocratic practices such as secrecy, censorship, surveillance, and corruption.
Bang, Bang, Bang: Callais Kills Off the Voting Rights Act
To the extent that the Voting Rights Act served as at least a minimal constraint on political gerrymandering, that constraint is gone.
The Acting DNI and the Intelligence Office Trump Wants
Bill Pulte’s appointment as Acting Director of National Intelligence suggests that ODNI may now be serving a more political function than advising the president.
Congress Can Act Now on U.S. DoD Inspector’s Report Revealing Violations of Civilian Harm Policy and Law
A Defense Department Inspector General report shows the Pentagon’s failure to prioritize congressionally mandated civilian protection mechanisms amid U.S. military action.
What Congress Should Do About the President’s Sweetheart Deal in Trump v. IRS
Tax law experts offer three actions that Congress must take to fully unwind the Trump administration’s settlement and hold its architects accountable.
The ICESCR in Armed Conflict: Submission to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Experts argue ICESCR applies in armed conflict and caution against broad claims of international humanitarian law as lex specialis.
In Addition to Chinese Pressure, a Backsliding Democracy May Explain Zambia’s Decision to Cancel a Major Human Rights Summit
Zambia’s cancellation of RightsCon is an indication not only of China’s influence, but also the country's own democratic erosion under a government that promised otherwise.
Dangerous Speech in Disguise: The White House’s New “Aliens” Website Is Not a Joke
The White House’s new Aliens.gov website uses fear, dehumanizing rhetoric, and conspiracy themes to build public support for mass deportations.
The Weaponization of GLOMAG: How Rivals Co-opt U.S. Sanctions to Target Business and Political Opponents
The U.S. human rights and anticorruption sanctions architecture is vulnerable to exploitation by the very actors it was designed to confront.
I Was Afghanistan’s Attorney General. Here Is What Justice Looked Like — and What Destroyed It.
Afghanistan’s justice system took 20 years to build and 11 days to destroy. Former Attorney General Mohammad Farid Hamidi outlines the ongoing fight for accountability.