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.
3,366 Articles
No Indispensable Man: The Democratic Foundation of the 22nd Amendment
To violate the 22nd Amendment would be to discard the wisdom of those who sought to preserve U.S. democracy against the last rising tide of authoritarianism.
The Just Security Podcast: Can the U.S. Still Lead on Anti-Corruption? Understanding the Combating Global Corruption Act
Dani Schulkin is joined by former State Department officials Sky Miller and Adam Keith to discuss anti-corruption efforts in the U.S. and abroad.
The Assault on Law School Clinics is an Attack on Democracy Itself
Americans are witnessing a concerted effort to delegitimize legal defense for marginalized or politically disfavored people.
History and International Law Proscribe Amnesties for Russian War Crimes
Compromising on prosecutions for Russian atrocities would erode the system of international justice built since Nuremberg and undermine the rule of law itself.
Global Corruption, Local Hypocrisy: The Promises and Pitfalls of the U.S. Combating Global Corruption Act
The Combating Global Corruption Act presents an imperfect but useful opportunity to rebuild the U.S. government’s anti-corruption practices.
The (Flimsy) Legal Arguments Used to Justify Art Censorship
Liability fears are increasingly weaponized to justify removal of socially engaged art. Treating display as endorsement is legally wrong and culturally corrosive censorship.
When Loyalties Shift: Americans’ Growing Noncooperation with Federal Abuses of Power
Americans' refusals to accept apparent abuses of power by the federal government indicate that the political winds may be starting to shift.
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The Global Retreat from Content Moderation Is Endangering Free Expression: Kenya Shows Why
By abandoning proactive content moderation, platforms are accelerating a global slide toward censorship — the very outcome they claim to oppose.
The Just Security Podcast: Is there a Fox in the Henhouse? A Comparative Perspective of State Capture in the U.S.
Dani Schulkin is joined by Naomi Roht-Arriaza to discuss the warning signs of state capture and grand corruption, and what can be done to push back against it.
Persecuting the Prosecutors: Israel’s Military Lawyers Under Pressure
The weakening of the Military Advocate General affects the IDF's ability to carry out its missions lawfully, and the broader protection of the rule of law in Israel.
How to End the Shadow Budget and Protect Congress’s Power of the Purse
Unless Congress reasserts control over federal spending, the balance the framers designed could collapse into a self-financing presidency.