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.
3,335 Articles
Instagram Content Removals in Iran Highlight Questions Over Facebook’s New Oversight Board
Facebook’s recent release of the bylaws for its new Oversight Board, which will be charged with reviewing takedown decisions by Facebook and Instagram, came on the heels of reports…
![An email from Mark Paoletta on August 12, 2019 reading, “Alternative language. [Redacted] Mike Paoletta General Counsel Office of Management & Budget [Redacted] (office) [Redacted] (cell)”](https://i0.wp.com/www.justsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Screen-Shot-2020-02-10-at-12.03.15-PM.png?fit=1024%2C366&ssl=1)
Exclusive: New Unredacted Emails Show How Deeply OMB Misled Congress on Ukraine
New unredacted emails confirm that OMB, including the general counsel’s office, was fully in the loop about the Pentagon’s Ukraine funding worries, and took active steps to…
The Friday Night Massacre’s Broader Context: Trump’s Redesign for American Democracy
As we discussed with one of the authors of the book, How Democracies Die, the purges fit an ominous path followed by elected autocrats.
As Election Primaries Approach, Red Flags Signal Voter Suppression Risks
Voter suppression tactics are as old as American democracy. But new technology has catapulted this threat to the next level, arming foreign governments and domestic disinformation…
Reading Between the Votes: 53 Senators Say Trump Guilty on the Facts
"Remember this: A bipartisan majority found that the factual allegations for Trump’s impeachment were proven."
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.