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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3,162 Articles
A passenger has his temperature checked at Changsha railway station in Changsha, the capital of Hunan province on March 10, 2020. Everyone wears face masks.

Pandemics and Human Rights

Some governments use a crisis as a pretext to infringe rights. Others retain over-broad emergency powers after the crisis subsides.
Side by side photographs of Jared Kushner meeting with Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, 666 Fifth Ave, and bank notes reading Qatar Central Bank.

Timeline on Jared Kushner, Qatar, 666 Fifth Avenue, and White House Policy

A comprehensive account of Jared Kushner, 666 Fifth Avenue, and White House support for the blockade of Qatar after the Qataris rejected Kushner Companies.
People cross a burning street in Cadjehoun on May 1, 2019. Protestors in Benin set up burning barricades on the streets on May 1, as soldiers encircled the home of ex-president Thomas Boni Yayi after he led calls for an election boycott. Hours after initial results showed a record low turnout in Sunday's controversial parliamentary polls, soldiers in tanks were posted on the main roads leading to Boni Yayi's home in the economic capital Cotonou.

West Africa’s Democratic Progress is Slipping Away, Even as Region’s Significance Grows

Democratic norms may erode further in 2020, says Freedom House. The fundamental rights of West Africa’s nearly 400 million people are in jeopardy.

Why the 2020 Election Will Be A Mess Part II: Beyond Russian Disinformation

As anger in the U.S. grows, the threat of political violence also builds, providing the Russian government another opportunity to divide the country.
FBI Building in Miami, Florida.

About Those FBI Counterterrorism Assessments …

Will a recent inspector general report encourage the FBI to be more, not less, aggressive in the use of Type III assessments in counterterrorism cases without adequate constitutional…

A Model for Countering Foreign Disinformation and Interference in Elections

There’s a model the U.S. government applied in the counterterrorism context that provides a potential template for addressing the election interference threat over the long run.

Facebook Bylaws for Takedown Oversight Board: Questions of Independence

The board should select and decide cases without interference. But trustees and the company retain authority on issues underpinning its independence.

The Gravity of Michael Ellis’ Promotion to Senior Director for Intelligence at the White House

The person just put in charge of intelligence at the NSC was credibly accused of abusing the classification system in the Ukraine matter, and was even personally named in the articles…
Relatives of missing people take part in a massive protest against violence, crime and the disappearance of people, in Guadalajara, Jalisco State, Mexico, on May 4, 2018.

Mexico’s Amnesty Proposal: An Instrument of Transitional Justice?

As violence in Mexico reaches record highs, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has proposed an amnesty law aimed at benefiting individuals accused of involvement in the country’s…
White House Counsel Don McGahn stands behind Trump during a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room at the White House October 17, 2018 in Washington, DC.

Congress Needs a “Rocket Docket” for Its Disputes With the President

A rocket docket could have prevented many of the abuses seen during the Trump administration, would reduce the likelihood of future abuses, and will enhance Congress’ ability…
In this picture taken on February 7, 2020, a mother shows her phone to her child who has cancer as they sit inside a ward in a hospital in Srinagar. Both wear face masks.

As Trump Returns from India, Others in U.S. Must Press Modi on Rights in Kashmir and Across the Country

It is critical that a broad and diverse group of powerful actors in the United States not ignore the Indian government’s turn toward authoritarianism.
The United States Capitol building in Washington DC, USA

For House, Senate National Security Committees, Stopgaps for Term Limits

Some alternatives to retain experience in key committee leadership for the good of congressional oversight.
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