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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3,397 Articles
The headquarters of the United States Postal Service (USPS) is seen in Washington, DC, August 18, 2020.

Timeline: The Trump Administration and the U.S. Postal Service

A timeline of the pivotal events shaping the U.S. Postal Service that brought us to today's crisis.
Members of the military junta arrive with their escorts at the Malian Ministry of Defence in Bamako on August 19, 2020.

Does Mali’s Coup Advance Democracy?

What are the implications of accepting or inviting military intervention in domestic politics in Mali and beyond?
The words "My Government Did This" are displayed on a barrier on the Charles Helou highway in front of the ruined port of Beirut.

The Cost of Resilience: The Roots and Impacts of the Beirut Blast

The Aug. 4 explosion at the Beirut port is not the cause of catastrophe in Lebanon, it is the result. To understand its causes and impacts, we must look to what came before, including…
Protestors gather to rally against the disputed presidential election in Belarus at Independence Square in Minsk on August 18, 2020.

How the US and the EU Can Support Belarus Amid Its Historic Protests

The US should work with the EU to isolate Lukashenko and his lieutenants with targeted sanctions, and facilitate a peaceful transition with new elections.
US Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary, Chad Wolf, testifies before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on August 6, 2020 in Washington, DC, to answer questions about the use of federal agents during protests in Portland, Oregon.

“Head-On Into Peril”: Connecting 9/11 and Law Enforcement Abuses in Portland

"It was no accident that people of color (primarily Black and Latino Americans, and Muslims around the world) were the primary targets of both military and police agencies post-9/11…
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo looks over his papers while testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on Capitol Hill February 28, 2020 in Washington, DC.

Exclusive: Obstruction At All Costs: The State Department’s Petty Document Fight with Congress

The State Department is refusing to comply with a House subpoena for documents that it's already shared with Senate Republicans.
Rapper Kanye West hugs U.S. President Donald Trump during a meeting in the Oval office of the White House on October 11, 2018 in Washington, DC.

Is Jared Kushner Illegally Soliciting Campaign Help From Kanye West?

This week Forbes broke the story that Jared Kushner, “de facto chief” of President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign, has been speaking “regularly,” “almost daily,”…
Polish lawyer Adam Bodnar and the institution he leads, the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights, stand on stage after receiving the Rafto Prize 2018 for the important stance taken in the face of current political developments in Poland, at a ceremony in Grieg Hall in Bergen, Norway on November 4, 2018.

Political Attacks on Eastern Europe Watchdogs Compound Threats to Democracy

Ombudspersons face similar risks across the region, as autocratic ruling parties seek to remove independent checks on their control.
State Dept PM’s Marik String speaks at annual To Walk The Earth In Safety event.

A Conflict of Interest Raises Questions for State Department’s Top Lawyer

Did Marik String successfully stymy inspector general investigation into his own actions?
US Park Police with full riot gear but no face masks over their mouths and noses stand on the grass as Black Lives Matter protestors march past.

I Resigned from U.S. Government After My Own Leaders Began to Act Like the Autocrats I Analyzed

I have seen up close the president’s disdain for democratic values, and recent events should be put in the context of a continuous slide toward authoritarianism.... Each day,…
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.
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