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.
3,181 Articles
Palestinians Claim Violations by Israeli Settlers in Airbnb Case in U.S. Court
In March, two Palestinian-Americans and two Palestinian villages moved to intervene in a suit brought against Airbnb, a global home-rental online platform, in federal court in…
Don’t Get Lured by False Question of Whether Mueller Got “Played” by Barr
"Maneuvering 'around' the Attorney General was not how Mueller saw his job—indeed, it was not his job—and it’s not how we should see it, either."
The Mazars USA Subpoena as an Existential Threat to President Trump
The ‘friendly’ subpoena recently served on the tax and accounting firm Mazars USA seeking client records related to Donald J. Trump and the Trump Organization may not have…
Norms Watch: Damage to Democracy and Rule of Law in April 2019
Our latest collection of a month's most significant breaks with democratic traditions highlights threats to investigate the Russia probe investigators and to release migrants as…
The Failures of the Mueller Report’s Campaign Finance Analysis
Former White House Counsel and top election law expert critiques Mueller's legal and factual analysis of campaign finance law: "The results are an unconvincing decision to decline…
Trump’s `Fake News’ Tirades Embolden Arab Leaders’ Crackdowns
President Donald Trump’s discourse on fake news has created a dangerous environment, and not only for journalists working in the United States. Autocrats in countries of the…
Amid the Nadler-Barr Standoff: Some History of Struggles Over Hearing Processes
Attorney General William Barr refused to appear before the House Judiciary Committee at its hearing today on the Mueller Report, further escalating the battle between the executive…
Barr and Congress: Is the Focus on Criminality Too Narrow?–Five Experts Weigh In
The Senate Judiciary Committee’s questioning of Attorney General William Barr yesterday raises the question of whether Congress, in responding to the findings in Special Counsel…
Barr to Senate: President is Not Immune from Prosecutor Declaration of Indictable Offense
"Mueller may now be able to say on the record whether he believes President Donald Trump committed the crime of obstruction."
Mueller Report Illustrates Trump’s Authoritarian Rhetorical Tactics
One way to evaluate Trump objectively is to examine the Mueller Report for the president’s rhetorical strategies -- ad baculum, ad hominem, and paralipsis, among others.
What Congress Should Ask Bill Barr When He Testifies
Think we are missing some crucial questions? Send us a note (lte@justsecurity.org) and we can add your question to the list with attribution.
Split Over Compelled Decryption Deepens With Massachusetts Case
Encryption is as omnipresent as computers, tablets, and smartphones. Yet the Supreme Court has not provided guidance on the constitutional implications of compelling a suspect…