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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3,333 Articles
Hundreds of people gather in lower Manhattan for a "Lights for Liberty" protest against migrant detention camps and the impending raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this coming weekend in various cities on July 12, 2019 in New York City.

The Supreme Court Just Made It Easier to Conceal Abuse of Migrant Detainees

The U.S. Supreme Court has reversed a half-century of precedent on citizens’ rights to know what their government is doing, by making it more difficult for the public to probe…
A person typing on a keyboard

Outside the Beltway: An Experiment on Human Rights & Potential CLOUD Act Agreements

What questions remain in assessing the human rights concerns of potential CLOUD Act agreements? How would executive branch lawyers approach these questions?
Special Counsel Robert Mueller makes a statement about the Russia investigation on May 29, 2019 at the Justice Department in Washington, DC.

Five Takeaways from Talking Feds’ Mueller Preview Panel

As we prepare for the upcoming congressional testimony of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, we thought it would be helpful to tune into the Talking Feds podcast, which taped a series…
Camden County Police Department officer Jose Delvalle, Louis Sanchez and Vidal Riverago out on patrol in Camden, New Jersey, on May 24, 2017.

Policing, U.S. Style: With Little Idea of What Really Works

Until we better analyze police strategies, policies, and technologies, and learn, in a quantifiable way, what works and what doesn’t, we are not truly advancing public safety.…
La Meute, a far-right, anti-immigration group, holds a rally in Quebec City, Canada, on August 20, 2017.

Canada is Starting to Outlaw Far-Right Groups, and It’s About Time

When the Canadian government listed Blood & Honour, a neo-Nazi group, and its armed branch, Combat 18, as terrorist organizations last month, it marked the first time that any…
Silhouettes of Trump and Putin as they arrive for a group photo at the G20 Summit in Osaka on June 28, 2019.

Norms Watch: Damage to Democracy and Rule of Law in June 2019

Editor’s Note: Welcome to the latest installment of Norms Watch, our series tracking both the flouting of democratic norms by the Trump administration and the erosion of those…
This aerial photo shows solar photovoltaic modules on a hillside in a village in Chuzhou, in eastern China's Anhui province on April 13, 2017.

One Key Instrument to Confront China and Climate Change

The United States has an opportunity to begin tackling both the security and economic threats posed by China and those posed by climate change, through one action: investing in…
Soldiers of Eurocorps carry an European Union flag during the flag-raising ceremony on the eve of the inaugural session of new European Parliament on July 1, 2019 in front of Louise Weiss building, headquarters of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France.

Trumping Transatlantic Relations, EU Struggles to Get Its House in Order

Whoever will be selected to run the European Commission or become the president of the European Council, the partnership with the United States will be one of the top priorities.…
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After Sudan’s Attacks on Protesters, Crucial Next Steps for the U.S.

(Editor’s note: This is the second of two articles on the Sudan security forces’ June 3 attacks on peaceful demonstrators and what may happen next. The first article detailed…
Australian founder of whistleblowing website, 'WikiLeaks', Julian Assange holds up a copy of today's Guardian newspaper during a press conference in London on July 26, 2010. The headline reads, “Massive leak of secret files exposes true Afghan war.”

Assange’s Indictment: A Threat to Everyone

Had the precedent of the Justice Department’s prosecution of Julian Assange existed in the past, there are numerous cases that could have resulted in a prosecution under the…
Sudanese protesters walk past burning tyres during a demonstration in Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman on June 3, 2019.

As Sudan Deadline Looms, a Playbook for a Massacre

The live ammunition, tear gas, and severe beatings that Sudanese security forces unleashed on peaceful demonstrators on June 3 shook the country’s pro-democracy movement and…
Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, and former Maryland congressman John Delaney take the stage during the first night of the Democratic presidential debate on June 26, 2019 in Miami, Florida.

Looking to 2020: A Presidential Pledge for Gender Parity in National Security Appointments

Fifteen of the Democratic candidates running for president have signed a pledge that they will seek gender parity in their national security appointments.
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