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.
3,183 Articles
Invoking “Terrorism” Against Police Protestors
"The invocation of 'terrorism' to respond to Antifa—and those protesting police violence more generally—has real consequences even if it does not create new legal powers."
The President and the Domestic Deployment of the Military: Answers to Five Key Questions
Can President Trump use the military without governors' consent? What are the rules for the use of force?
White Supremacist Infiltration of US Police Forces: Fact-Checking National Security Advisor O’Brien
What the available research says about systemic discrimination in law enforcement as well as links to racist and white supremacist ideology.
Don’t Let Trump Say the “American Carnage” of 2020 is What He Claimed in 2016. It’s Not.
The violence we’re seeing right now is not the so-called “American carnage” President Trump described in 2016 as he simultaneously claimed only he could lead the country…
Far-Right Infiltrators and Agitators in George Floyd Protests: Indicators of White Supremacists
Evidence points to specific White Supremacist and far-right groups having infiltrated George Floyd protests, writes scholar of violent extremism, Georgia State University professor…
Trump’s Empty “Withdrawal” from the World Health Organization
WHO withdrawal can't take legal effect until mid-2021 per federal law. That plus other formidable legal obstacles may yet stand in Trump's way.
Understanding the Michael Flynn Case: Separating the Wheat from the Chaff, and the Proper from the Improper
What follows is an effort to identify and evaluate many of the most important aspects of the Flynn affair, roughly in chronological order from the Summer of 2016 to today.
Trump’s Executive Order Targets Twitter, Capitalizing on Right-Wing Grievance
Even if it doesn't lead to action, the threat of regulatory pressure aims to bully social media companies into continuing their hands-off approach to Trump.
A Conversation With U.N. Special Rapporteur E. Tendayi Achiume: COVID-19, Racism, and Xenophobia
Editor’s Note: This piece is part of Just Security‘s United Nations Special Rapporteurs on #COVID-19 series, in which mandate holders offer their views on pressing…
State’s Selective Cooperation with Congress Raises Legal Questions that Demand Answers
The State Department appears to be engaged in coordinated cooperation with an oversight investigation designed to harm Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden, while ignoring…
What a “Feminist” Approach to Fighting COVID-19 Might Have Achieved
Imagine a global security structure based on principles of cooperation, human security, pragmatism, transparency, and inclusivity.
Eli Lake’s Omissions and Misleading Facts in Defense of Michael Flynn
Lake's essay has been called “the best summary of the pro-Flynn argument you'll ever read,” but former US Attorney and Professor Barbara McQuade finds Lake's analysis omits…