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
US Senators Ron Johnson, Chris Murphy and John Barrasso walk out of the presidential office to make a press statement following a meeting with Ukraine's President in Kiev on February 14, 2020.

The Senate Created a Playbook to Counter Foreign Influence. Then it Did the Opposite.

"Disinformation about disinformation is in itself, of course, a form of disinformation, and makes our ability to identify, expose, and explain it much more difficult. Likewise,…
A car of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) drives past Ukrainian servicemen in the settlement of Odradivka prior to a prisoner exchange between Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels on December 29, 2019.

The OSCE: A Bulwark Against Authoritarianism

On the 45th anniversary of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, don't abandon it by leaving its crucial institutions without leadership.
A Lebanese protester waves a national flag amid clashes with security forces in the vicinity of Parliament in central Beirut on August 10, 2020.

Lebanon’s Peace Cartel is Irredeemable – How Donors Choose to Help Can Tip the Scales

Who controls aid matters for the immediate disaster response and for the leverage of those who have suffered the disaster against those who enabled it.
Speaker Pelosi And Women's Caucus Speak To Media On Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) on February 12, 2020 in Washington, DC.

In the Battle for the ERA, Global Constitutionalism and State Sovereignty

To reflect a generation of global constitutional developments on sex equality, have a democratic national conversation in Congress.
National Women's Party leaders watch as Alice Paul sews a "ratification star" on a flag. From left to right: Mabel Vernon, Elizabeth Kolb, Alice Paul, Florence Brewer Boeckel, Anita Politzer, Sue Shelton White, and Vivian Pearce.

US Court Skirmishes Over Deadline’s Validity Leave ERA in Limbo

Questions of timing, rescissions, certification, and the authority of the courts and Congress stall the Equal Rights Amendment.
Rudy Giuliani and Andrii Derkach, in Kyiv, Ukraine Dec. 5, 2019 posted on Facebook (left); Andrii Telizhenko and Sen. Ron Johnson posted on Facebook, July 11, 2019 (center); Rudy Guiliani and Andrii Telizhenko posted on Facebook, July 18, 2020 (right)

How Sen. Ron Johnson’s Investigation Became an Enabler of Russian Disinformation: Part I

"There are three channels of Russian disinformation that have apparently affected Sen. Johnson’s Ukraine-related investigations."
Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf speaks during a press conference on the actions taken by Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security agents in Portland.

DHS’s Portland Follies: Tracing the Official Public Narrative and Internal Communications

Jeffrey Michaels examines the rhetorical frameworks used by the Department of Homeland Security in describing protest events in Portland and beyond.
Police and private security personel monitor security cameras at the Lower Manhattan Security Initiative on April 23, 2013 in New York City.

In the Drive to Curb Police Abuses, Rein in Their Tech Too

Local groups in a national movement are pressing for oversight of how and when law enforcement agencies use technology to monitor citizens.
John Durham and William Barr

An Open Letter to Connecticut U.S. Attorney John Durham

"I urge you to comply with the Department’s longstanding policy."
Protesters march holding placards and a portrait of Breonna Taylor during a demonstration against racism and police brutality, in Hollywood, California on June 7, 2020.

“Viral Convergence”: Interconnected Pandemics as Portal to Racial Justice

Could ongoing health and racism pandemics in the United States help provoke "viral justice" as interests converge around human rights?
Karen ethnic people hold posters and shout slogans during a protest against Myanmar Army for the allegedly arbitrary killings, raping, shelling and for the removal of the army camps, at Hpapun in Kayin State on July 28, 2020.

Leveraging International Justice for Lasting Peace in Myanmar

"The international community clearly has a political role to play, but a closer examination of how international accountability relates to domestic political dynamics is also critical,…
A 'Black Lives Matter' banner is displayed on the US embassy in Seoul on June 14, 2020.

Police Violence at Home Requires a Rethink of U.S. Foreign Policy and Assistance Abroad

When police brutalize and murder unarmed Black Americans, the effectiveness and legitimacy of the United States – including its ability to support justice abroad – crumbles.…
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