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.
3,161 Articles
A First Take on Bill Barr’s Memo on Presidential Authority and the Mueller Investigation
"It’s not hard to summarize Barr’s views because they're so shockingly categorical and so extreme."
Not Mere “Process Crimes,” False Statements Prosecutions Are Serious
In case you haven’t noticed, Special Counsel Robert Mueller takes lying very seriously. And, as we witnessed during Michael Flynn’s dramatic sentencing hearing, apparently…
U.S. Air Strike Data from Afghanistan Takes Step Back in Transparency
The U.S. military has stopped publishing important information on its air war in Afghanistan, just two months after deciding to release it. In October, the U.S. began publishing…
Protesters in Hungary Call Out Labor Rights – and Rule of Law
“All I want for Xmas is demokracia [democracy],” says one protest sign seen in Budapest, Hungary, over the past several days, as up to 15,000 people took to the streets. They…
Flynn’s Work as Turkey’s Agent While a Transition Official: Judge Sullivan Was at Least Half Right
Michael Flynn may have been working as an unregistered agent of Turkey while serving the United States in an official capacity after all, depending simply on how you define his…
Analysis of the Michael Flynn Sentencing Hearing Drama
On Tuesday, former national security advisor Michael Flynn appeared before Judge Emmett Sullivan for sentencing in the Russia investigation. Entering the hearing, Flynn walked…
Trump’s Bookkeeper: How Prosecutors Could Easily Prove Tax Crimes for Hush Money Reimbursements
Federal and state prosecutors' textbook strategy looks likely to prove tax crimes based on SDNY's court filings in Michael Cohen's sentencing .
The Most Extraordinary Lesson of Two New Reports on Russian Disinformation: What They Reveal About White House Paralysis
"The very issuance of these reports and the novelty of what they still reveal serve as an indictment of the White House’s persistent inaction."
The Senate Strikes Back: Checking Trump’s Foreign Policy
Though the Senate vote on cessation of military assistance for the Saudi War in Yemen will have no practical effect – the House of Representatives will not take up the matter…
All Evidence Points to Campaign Finance Crimes By President Trump
"The fact that we have in these documents ... all strongly suggest that Trump knew what the law forbade and violated it notwithstanding this knowledge. In other words, the DOJ…
How Far Can a Rogue Kremlin Push International Law?
The Russian-Ukrainian standoff at the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov shows that the Kremlin now is just ignoring international law. The United States and the West need to adjust…
Did Trump Organization Executives Cook the Books?–Tax Crimes Explained under Federal and State Law
Cohen sentencing points to likely falsification of corporate accounting and tax fraud. So which Trump Executives are liable?