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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3,335 Articles
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is seen on a laptop screen photographed in a flat in Budapest, as he makes an announcement from his office of the Carmelite monastery at the Buda Castle, broadcasted over the internet, on April 9, 2020, as the government extended the partial curfew for an indefinite time in Budapest.

Hungary Should Not Become Patient Zero

Hungarians now face a double threat: Alongside the COVID-19 pandemic, we also have to step up the fight against illiberal contagion.
A member of the Army National Guard checks his phone at a COVID-19 drive-thru testing site on April 20, 2020 in Brooklyn, New York.

Assessing Emergency Powers During #COVID-19

Just Security plans to highlight and give voice to legal and civil society voices from across the globe, assessing the specific legal consequences of declared and de facto emergencies.
A redacted document with blurry text where there aren’t redactions.

A District Court Endorses a Broken Prepublication Review System

Last week, a district court in Maryland dismissed a constitutional challenge to the system of prior restraints that prohibits millions of former intelligence agency employees from…
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Marine Corps Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, commander, U.S. Africa Command, shake hands as she steps out of a car during a visit April 13, 2019 in Stuttgart, Germany.

Great Expectations: AFRICOM’s New Quarterly Report on Civilian Casualties

A look at circumstances under which civilian casualties may occur in Somalia, why the US military may be under-reporting the numbers, and what to do about it.
Monroe County Sheriff deputy Jamie Miller wears gloves while flagging down a car at a checkpoint on U.S. 1 leading into the Florida Keys on March 27, 2020 in Florida City, Florida. Monroe County administrators made the decision to prohibit tourists and only allow property owners and people who show they legitimately work in the Keys to pass through the roadblocks in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Can Governors Close Their Borders to Pandemic Risks?

COVID-19 is not the first pandemic affecting America, and will not be the last. Under such circumstances, states have well-recognized authority to limit travel within and across…
U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U.S. Africa Command, and Maj. Gen. Mpho Mophuting, director of general support services, Botswana Defence Force, meet Aug. 14, 2019.

What Counts As Sufficient Transparency on Civilian Casualties in Somalia

Former National Security Council and Defense Department official writes about upcoming civilian casualties report from AFRICOM, and what will still be missing.
U.S. Army Spc. Christopher Andres, infantryman assigned to Task Force Guardian, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT), 1-186th Infantry Battalion, Oregon National Guard, provides security for a 75th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron (EAS) C-130J Super Hercules during unloading and loading operations in Somalia on Feb. 6, 2020.

US Ramps Up War in Somalia, Killing More Civilians

While much of the world tries to fight a global pandemic that has already killed thousands, the U.S. military has been secretly stepping up its war in Somalia, killing civilians…
Tech. Sgt. Jonisha Gibson, 82nd Medical Group clinical laboratory noncommissioned officer in charge, inspects a FilmArray pouch.

Is the Roberts Court Going to Let Coronavirus Kill Us?

It is looking increasingly as though a nationwide program of testing, and hopefully vaccination, may be the only way to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus and bring back…
Michael Atkinson leaves the U.S. Capitol south door.

Congress Should Take Steps to Protect the Independence of Inspectors General

In the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s assault on the federal government’s internal watchdogs -- the Inspector General (IG) community -- Congress should empower IGs with…
Inspector General of the Intelligence Community Michael Atkinson arrives for a closed-door hearing before the House Intelligence Committee in Washington, DC, on October 4, 2019.

Seek and Speak the Truth

Promoting an environment that supports truth-telling is vital to the Intelligence Community.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo hosts a conference call and makes an announcement with Governor Phil Murphy, Governor Ned Lamont, Governor Tom Wolf, Governor John Carney and Governor Gina Raimondo.

Governors and Mayors, Beware: Lawsuits Opposing Coronavirus Mitigation Orders Are a Real Threat

Lessons from when Confederacy-sympathizing judges tried to prevent Lincoln from saving the republic. By leading legal historian David Golove.
A temporary hospital is set up at the Jacob K. Javits Center on March 27, 2020 in New York. Cubicles with curtains are set up with a cot, a chair, a backpack, and a small garbage can each.

9/11 All Over Again

As in the days after 9/11, the current challenges stemming from COVID-19 seem unprecedented. But the parallels are striking.
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