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.

× Clear Filters
3,162 Articles
FBI Building in Miami, Florida.

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?
AG Barr looks at Trump

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…
Mitch McConnell on Senate Floor

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…
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) arrives at the U.S. Capitol on January 22, 2020 in Washington, DC.

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.
A representative of the Rohingya group greets Gambian Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou at the meeting held at the International Court of Justice on January 23, 2020 in The Hague, Netherlands.

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…
Trump and Bolton

John Bolton’s Silence — Here’s how he could lawfully break it

"If he wanted to, Bolton could this afternoon ..."
Rohingya refugees watch ICJ proceedings at a restaurant in a refugee camp on December 12, 2019 in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

Myanmar’s Commission Report Delivers Genocide Denial Playbook

Ignoring such propaganda only risks undermining efforts to stop atrocities.
The White House as seem from outside the West Wing. A guard stands at the entrance.

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…
Bolton and Trump

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…
Pat Cipollone, White House counsel, waits for an elevator as he arrives at the U.S. Capitol on January 22, 2020 in Washington, DC.

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.
A stack of newspapers.

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."
$100 US Bill

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.
1-12 of 3,162 items

DON'T MISS A THING. Stay up to date with Just Security curated newsletters: