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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3,181 Articles
Displaced Syrians, who fled their homes in Deir Ezzor city, carry boxes of humanitarian aid supplied by United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) at a refugee camp in Syrias northeastern Hassakeh province on February 26, 2018.

Correcting Course: Avoiding the Collision Between Humanitarian Action and Counterterrorism

"When the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2462(2019), aimed at combating the financing of terrorism, it included language meant to protect humanitarian action.…
Security personnel stand guard outside a mosque during Friday noon prayer in Colombo on May 3, 2019, following a series of bomb blasts targeting churches and luxury hotels on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka. Signs outside the mosque read, “Terrorism & Extremism has no place in Islam. Sufism is against terrorism.” “We stand with Christian brethren in grief. You are Us! We condemn terrorism in whatever form. Let us grieve together, let us rise together!”

In Legislation to Reduce Global Violence, Can U.S. Move Beyond a Focus on “Extremism”?

The real priority for the United States is to address not just ‘extremism’ but violent conflict overall by being clear-eyed about the complex factors driving it and what contributes…
US Attorney General William Barr testifies during a US House Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the Department of Justice Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, April 9, 2019. He leans his head sideways into his hand.

When Is a “Literally True” Statement False and a Crime

"Reluctant witnesses, perhaps taking a cue from Attorney General William Barr’s April 9 testimony before a House committee, may think that so long as their testimony is literally…
Geert Wilders, leader of PVV - Partij voor de Vrijheid, Matteo Salvini, leader of Lega, Jorg Meuthen, MEP for AfD - Alternative für Deutschland, Marine Le Pen, President of RN - Rassemblement National and Laura Huhtasaari, Vice President of Perussuomalaiset attend the political rally 'Prima l'Italia! Il buon senso in Europa - Towards a Common Sense Europe' at Piazza Duomo on May 18, 2019 in Milan, Italy.

EU Parliamentary Elections: A Tipping Point for Modern Europe?

Protests last weekend in Vienna and Milan reflect the unusually sharp choice of EU voters between far-right and pro-EU parties in elections May 23-26. Usually an obscure event…

What Nixon’s Impeachment Can and Can’t Tell Us About the Impeachment of Trump

[Editor’s note: Just Security is publishing a series in conversation with Sidney Blumenthal’s “An Open Memo: Comparison of Clinton Impeachment, Nixon Impeachment and Trump…
U.S. House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) listens during a news conference April 21, 2016 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

The Pelosi Approach to Impeachment: Public Education, First

[Editor’s note: Just Security is publishing a series in conversation with Sidney Blumenthal’s “An Open Memo: Comparison of Clinton Impeachment, Nixon Impeachment and Trump…
A name plate for former White House Counsel Don McGahn sits on the witness table prior to a House Judiciary Committee hearing in which McGahn was subpoenaed to testify May 21, 2019 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

The Three-Level Game in the White House Effort to Block McGahn’s Testimony

"It is a wonder that the attorney general is gambling on this case, to be brought on this record, to vindicate his constitutional theory."
US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell gives a thumbs-up as he is applauded during the ceremonial swear-in of Brett Kavanaugh as Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court by Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy before US President Donald Trump on October 8, 2018, at the White House in Washington, DC.

Why the Fight for the Supreme Court Became So Ugly

In a new documentary, called “Supreme Revenge,” airing Tuesday night on PBS, FRONTLINE goes back decades to tell the story of how the Supreme Court confirmation process has…
U.S. President Donald Trump listens to Attorney General William Barr during the 38th Annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service at the west front of the Capitol May 15, 2019 in Washington, DC.

Bill Barr’s Extreme Views on War Powers Mean Congress’s Window to Stop War with Iran is Now

Attorney General Barr’s extreme past positions on unilateral presidential power could cut out any required role for Congress in authorizing or rejecting war. Here's what Congress…
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron hold a press conference for the launch the global "Christchurch Call" initiative to tackle the spread of extremism online at the Elysee Palace in Paris on May 15, 2019.

Why the Christchurch Call to Remove Online Terror Content Triggers Free Speech Concerns

In deciding whether to endorse the Christchurch Call, the question for U.S. policymakers was whether the text essentially called on the U.S. or others to act inconsistently with…

The Balance Has Shifted: The Data on Impeachment Favor Moving Ahead

"Blumenthal’s piece changes the balance to favor Congress acting now. His data decimate the major impediment to holding Trump accountable – the fear that this president would…
EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Senegal's President Macky Sall, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron attend a launching ceremony for the 'Christchurch call', an initiative pushed by Ardern after a white supremacist gunned down 51 people in a massacre at two mosques in the New Zealand city in March, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on May 15, 2019.

Christchurch Calls and Washington Isn’t Answering

One of the more predictable diplomatic rituals since 9/11 has been that when terrorists strike a close American ally, Washington stands in solidarity with that country, offering…
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