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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3,363 Articles
Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip Yahya Sinwar visits the construction site of a field hospital to house coronavirus patients in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on March 23, 2020.

Amid Palestinian Election Plans, Time to Challenge Hamas?

A new approach to longstanding Quartet conditions for recognizing any Palestinian government might incentivize Hamas to move away from violence.
A folio lays and a dark surface. The front page reads, “FARA and 951 Presentation and Roundtable June 29, 2017.”

In Absence of Foreign Agents Registration Reform, DOJ Tweaks Could Make a Big Difference

Its core obligations have not been comprehensively updated since the 1960s. Until they are, the executive branch could address key shortcomings.
Trump gestures in front of a line of American flags at the "Stop The Steal" Rally on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC.

An Alternative to Impeachment: New Bill Helps Enforce Accountability for Capitol Riots

Experts explain how a new bill in Congress helps enforce accountability for federal officials who enabled the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
A medical doctor wearing a mask representing Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez takes part in a protest in Tegucigalpa on September 11, 2020, amid the new coronavirus pandemic. The doctor carries a 3-D coronavirus model in one hand and a sign in another hand.

To Combat Central America’s Bad Governance, Biden Can’t Just Throw Money at the Problem

The $4 billion in US aid will have to be carefully managed, and could be leveraged to combat the corruption and impunity that drives so many to migrate.
Flowers line the entrance to Masjid An-Nur mosque as seen on March 14, 2020 in Christchurch, New Zealand. The National Remembrance event to mark one year since the Christchurch mosque attacks, has been cancelled as a precautionary measure due to Covid-19. Signs on the gate read, “Thank you brothers and sisters.”

Terrorism and Other Dangerous Online Content: Exporting the First Amendment?

The First Amendment is no cause for the United States holding back from international multi-stakeholder efforts to address the spread of dangerous online content. Christchurch…
Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg departs after testifying before a combined Senate Judiciary and Commerce committee hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill April 10, 2018 in Washington, DC.

A Dozen Experts with Questions Congress Should Ask the Tech CEOs — On Disinformation and Extremism

Experts draft specific questions — on disinformation and extremism — for Congress to ask Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai…
US Attorney General Merrick Garland addresses staff on his first day at the US Department of Justice in Washington, DC on March 11, 2021.

How Attorney General Garland Can Strengthen FOIA Implementation

Here's what Attorney General Garland's department-wide memorandum on the Freedom of Information of Act should look like.
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The Digital Technology Agenda at the Summit for Democracy

"To combat the digital authoritarian threat, democracies must be rallied around a shared values-based vision of digital society and a joint strategic technology agenda."
A wide view of the Trusteeship Council Chamber during a joint open briefing by the Chairs of Security Council committees engaged in countering the financing of terrorism, as well as by the President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), on their respective roles. The room appears to be full and a large projection screen shows a member sitting at the panel in the front of the room.

Protecting Civil Society in Global Counterterrorism: FATF Leads the Way, UN Should Follow

Through the work of advocates, FATF has improved its engagement with and protection of civil society. UN counterterrorism bodies could learn from FATF's approach.
Protestors rally against corruption in central Saint Petersburg on March 26, 2017. Numerous police or military forces in helmets watch the protestors.

Corruption Is a National Security Threat. The CROOK Act Is a Smart Way to Fight It.

A surcharge on entities liable under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act could advance good governance abroad and help create a more stable world.
Smoke rises from tires burning at barricades erected by protesters after military junta forces attempted to attack them on March 16, 2021 in Yangon, Myanmar.

No Military Solutions: A New Approach to Preventing Atrocities

To be a credible proponent of peace, the US must shed destabilizing security ties and unneeded military capabilities, and invest in conflict prevention.
Aerial view of the financial centre of Panama City taken on April 25, 2019. Areas with tress and shorter buildings are nestled between the skyscrapers.

The Fight Against Kleptocracy Should Look Beyond the West

Efforts that help constrain the enabling environment for corruption in the West do not sufficiently tackle how foreign authoritarian actors turbocharge kleptocracy and the role…
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