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.
3,162 Articles

Deciphering the FISC’s Order on the Carter Page FISA Application
What will the Justice Department do in response to what it's learned about the FBI’s flawed application to wiretap Carter Page?

William Barr: A Failed Attorney General Unfit to Serve
William Barr has repeatedly abused his office as attorney general to provide personal and political protection for President Donald Trump at the expense of the integrity and credibility…

The Most Serious Obstruction of All: The Vote to Block Witnesses and the Public’s Right to Know
What makes the Republican leadership’s actions particularly galling is that they wrapped their rush to acquittal in the cloak of “letting American voters decide.” That was…

Republican Senators’ Short-Sighted Justifications for Acquitting Trump
Why Senator Ted Cruz's approach, rather than Lamar Alexander's, creates vulnerabilities for the White House and Republican Senators down the line.

Behind Myanmar’s Military Alibi: A Path for Compliance with the ICJ’s Order to Protect Rohingya
It will be important to identify the pathways for Myanmar to comply within a governmental system that gives its military extensive autonomy, while not allowing it to hide behind…

John Bolton’s Silence — Here’s how he could lawfully break it
"If he wanted to, Bolton could this afternoon ..."

Myanmar’s Commission Report Delivers Genocide Denial Playbook
Ignoring such propaganda only risks undermining efforts to stop atrocities.

Timeline: Trump, Giuliani, Biden, and Ukrainegate
A comprehensive chronology of events involving "Ukrainegate" and President Trump and Rudy Giuliani's efforts to persuade the Ukrainian government to investigate former Vice President…

Explainer: Prepublication Review and How it Applies to Bolton
An explainer of the key features of the prepublication review process and the significant discretion it gives the government to suppress protected speech—potentially including…

The Ukrainian “Drug Deal” and All the President’s Lawyers
Lawyers in the Trump administration appear to be acting more like operatives helping to facilitate an illegal scheme, rather than lawyers with an obligation to end it.

Lessons for Life: The Obituaries of Republicans Who Opposed Nixon’s Impeachment
"If the reference is not made in the obituary’s headline, it still appears as a central point in the narrative of their lives as that single decision affected the course of history."

Sudan’s Push for Removal from U.S. Terror List: Not a Panacea
There are ways to achieve the goals Sudan’s pro-democracy forces have set for their country, but it will require multiple, methodical steps by both Sudan and the United States.