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
Trump against a dark background. People appear behind him.

The Facebook Oversight Board’s Trump Ban Decision Is About More Than Trump

The Oversight Board must grapple with algorithmic decision-making and whether politicians' speech ought to be governed by special rules, with implications for political speech…
US psychologist James Mitchell speaks with an interviewer at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC on December 6, 2016.

Stopping Torture: Why Professional Governance Failed, and How It Can Do Better

Professionals -- psychologists, physicians, lawyers -- played key parts in enabling post-9/11 torture programs. Yet professionalism can also constrain state power. Gregg Bloche…
Monks take part in a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon on March 11, 2021. They carry umbrellas reading, “R2P” standing for the Responsibility to Protect and “CRPH” standing for the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw. The demonstrators wear face masks. Other demonstrators wear hard hats and raise three fingers in the air.

Beyond the Coup in Myanmar: Don’t Ignore the Religious Dimensions

The changing nature of how religion intersects with political protest reveals much about how the country as a whole is changing, and what its future holds.
Roger Stone, former adviser and confidante to Trump, leaves the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia after being sentenced February 20, 2020 in Washington, DC. He is surrounded by staff and two police officers lead the way.

Is Roger Stone Getting Off Easy for Tax Fraud?

Why is Roger Stone not being criminally prosecuted for tax evasion?
Representatives from Karen ethnic group take part in a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon on February 11, 2021. They wear face masks and hold signs that read, “Abolish the 2008 Constitution,” “Establish a new federal union,” and “End censorship.”

Beyond the Coup in Myanmar: Inside Karen State

The coup has been a "nightmare" for democracy supporters across Myanmar - but for those in Karen State, protests have brought cautious hope and unity. A view from the ground.
Artwork of protestors with signs reading, “Freedom of Expression,” “Rule of Law,” and a slashed “Corruption” sign. Blood is splattered across the protestors. In the top corner, a hand places a paper into a ballot box.

Beyond the Coup in Myanmar: “In Accordance with the Law” – How the Military Perverts Rule of Law to Oppress Civilians

The Tatmadaw have used the concept of "law" to justify both arbitrary violence against anti-coup protestors and the coup itself. But what would true "rule of law" mean in Myanmar?
The sign at the FBI headquarters building reads, “J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building.”

Key Takeaways From Latest FISA Court Opinion on Section 702 and FBI Warrantless Queries

A recently declassified FISA Court opinion shows how serious the threat is that Section 702 could be exploited as a loophole for warrantless surveillance in domestic policing.
Protesters, wearing red make-up to simulate tears of blood, make the three-finger salute during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon's Hlaing township. They wear pink ribbons around their wrists.

Beyond the Coup in Myanmar: Echoes of the Past, Crises of the Moment, Visions of the Future

The Feb. 1 coup opened the latest front in a historic battle for democracy and peace. Today, we launch a series on the coup, its context, and what the future may hold for Myanmar.
The gallows Trump supporters erected during the January 6th insurrection. The Capitol Building can be seen through the frame of the gallows.

A Jan. 6 Commission is Crucial to Understand the Reality of the Attack, and the Alternate Reality of the Attackers

The United States needs a definitive account, not just of the reality of that deadly day, but of the alternate reality that produced it.
People carry banners as they attend a rally to mark the International Women's Day in Bishkek on March 8, 2021. Some people wear face masks but not all.

High-Level US Attention Needed for a Backsliding Democracy in Central Asia

Voters in Kyrgyzstan approved a referendum on April 11 that expands the president’s powers and threatens the most vibrant civil society in the region.
Belsat TV journalists Katerina Bakhvalova aka Andreeva and Daria Chultsova, who were detained in November while reporting on anti-government protests, flash the V-sign from a defendant's cage during their trial in Minsk on February 18, 2021.

Belarus Jailing of Journalists for Reporting on Peaceful Protest Violates International Law

An appeal hearing in Minsk offers a chance for the court to rectify an injustice that illustrates how reporters have been targeted for abuse..
The U.S. Capitol dome at dusk on April 13, 2021 in Washington, DC.

An Opportunity for Congress to Require Transparency of the Executive’s International Agreements

The newly introduced bipartisan legislation would constitute the most significant improvement in the transparency of international agreements since the enactment of the Case Act…
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