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
Trump whispers to a White House staffer as he makes his way to board Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC on September 26, 2020.

Is Jeffrey Clark’s Secret Conversation With Trump “Privileged”?

A few days after President Joe Biden’s inauguration, news reports broke that then-President Donald Trump had met with Jeffrey Clark, the acting chief of the Department of Justice’s…
Trump supporters infiltrate the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, in Washington, DC. They do not wear face masks, and one man appears to take a selfie or video on a phone. The insurgents placed a sign against a statue. The sign reads, “America First Never Give up Never Surrender.” A police officer, who wears a surgical mask, appears to stand nearby watching them but not stopping them.

Social Media Video Evidence in Impeachment Trial: Lessons from International Tribunals

Five international experts discuss this pivotal moment in use of social media footage in Senate trial.
People wait in a line to vote at a polling station in Kampala, Uganda, on January 14, 2021. Most wear masks, though not all wear them over their noses. They do not socially distance in line. Billboards for various stores hang above shop fronts behind the people in line.

Voter Trust: A Game Changer in Uganda

Why did so many registered voters in Uganda, with the power to contribute to the country’s democracy, not vote?
Trump supporters at the January 6th rally at the Ellipse. The Trump propaganda film is playing and three large screens show the top half of Trump’s face under an ominous red light. People in the crowd wave American flags and Trump 2020 flags.

Movie at the Ellipse: A Study in Fascist Propaganda

Scholars on the Nazis and anti-Semitism have seen this before.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch arrives to testify before the House Intelligence Committee in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill November 15, 2019 in Washington, DC. Photographers crowd in front of the bench she sits at and take photos. The chairs behind her appear crowded and full.

Congress Now Has More Power to Shed Light on Trump’s Abuses of Power

Throughout former President Donald Trump’s tenure, the White House stonewalled congressional oversight requests with impunity. Until now.

Why Guantánamo Detainees Should Have Access to COVID Vaccines Part I: Law of Armed Conflict and Good Policy

The laws of war require vaccinating Guantanamo detainees. So do policy imperatives — including the U.S. military's own self-interests.
Security Council meeting on peace and security in Africa, with a focus on countering terrorism and extremism in Africa.

If the US Wants to Push Back on Authoritarian Agendas at the UN, Get Counterterrorism Right

If the Biden administration is serious about promoting democracy and pushing back on authoritarianism, then it’s time for a policy response that confronts the way in which counterterrorism…
An insurrectionist gets very close to police officers at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. The member of the Proud Boys wears a shirt reading “Anti-ANTIFA,” a helmet, face covering, and googles on top of the helmet. One police officer wears a face mask, but the other does not. Other insurrectionists stand behind the Proud Boys member.

The Capitol Assault and the Continuing Threat: A Podcast Conversation with Elizabeth Neumann

What was President Trump’s likely awareness of social media postings by extremists who signaled their intent to commit violence and assault the Capitol in advance of January…
Soldiers in action during a drill on day three of the China-Russia counter-terrorist Cooperation-2017 on December 5, 2017 in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China. They hold guns and speak in a circle.

Violent Extremism and the Governance Challenge

Revisiting "Human rights impact of policies and practices aimed at preventing and countering violent extremism," a recent assessment of the P/CVE field released last year at the…
Female Israeli and Palestinian members of the "Parents Circle Families Forum" association, an organisation made up of more than 600 families who have seen a family member die in the conflict, destroy a symbolic wall representing the Israeli security barrier that runs through the occupied West Bank, in Beit Jala near the biblical town of Bethlehem, on March 10, 2017.

New Aid for Israeli-Palestinian Peacebuilding Aims at Issues Underlying Security

The Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act provides an unprecedented $250 million over five years for economic and people-to-people projects.
Family members and relatives take part in the funeral procession of Afghan journalist Rahmatullah Nekzad at Khoja Omari district of Ghazni province, on December 22, 2020. The group appears to walk uphill and fills the span of the block.

Unprecedented Threats to Journalists & Civil Society Activists Are Threatening Afghanistan

Who benefits from the killing of journalists, human rights activists, and civil society members in Afghanistan? What purposes could it serve and for whom?
A phone shows a download/open button for Parler.

De-platforming Is a Fix, But Only a Short-Term One

Conspiracy theorists and disinformation remain in the world and online. At the end of the day, solving that problem will require more than just a technical solution.
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