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
Legal Analysis of “Cabinet Memo” on the Military’s Role at Southern Border
Avoidance of military involvement in civil society is part of America's political culture and heritage. The new White House order on U.S. Army role at the southwest border threatens…
Three Takeaways from Russia’s Latest Criminal Charges Against Bill Browder
On Monday, Russian prosecutors announced new charges against U.S.-born British financier Bill Browder. For years, the Kremlin has targeted Browder using Interpol’s “red notice”…
Birthright Citizenship for Children of Unlawful U.S. Immigrants Remains an Open Question
Shortly before the midterm elections, President Trump stirred up a hornet’s nest in suggesting he could, by executive order, withdraw the right to citizenship at birth from children…
Prosecuting Wikileaks, Protecting Press Freedoms: Drawing the Line at Knowing Collaboration with a Foreign Intelligence Agency
Top law professor on Internet and press freedoms--who was witness for defense of Chelsea Manning--writes why Assange's actions in 2016 may be very different.
A Wayward Way of Strategy: What Is the United States Doing in North Africa?
An October report from the Africa Center for Strategic Studies noted a rise in violent activity in the Sahel, up from similar data from January and April. Still, recent U.S.…
Was Your Voting Machine Hacked? Without More User-Friendly Devices, We May Not Know
Election-technology monitoring during the midterms logged more than 900 individual reports of voting issues. But the problems weren’t the anticipated cyberattacks.
Initial Reactions to OLC’s Opinion on the Whitaker Designation as “Acting” Attorney General
Two former Office of Legal Counsel officials analyze OLC's opinion on Matthew Whitaker's legal status as Acting Attorney General.
Why We March—A Bipartisan Coalition Has Got Mueller’s Back
Two days after a national election, the last thing the media expected to see was over 100,000 grassroots activists rallied in the streets. Chris Hayes encapsulated the press…
Congress Must Do More to Safeguard Mueller than Simply Protecting His Job
Matt Whitaker (or his successor) can do damage to Russia probe in more ways than just firing Mueller, and that's why new legislation is needed to protect the investigation.
Whitaker’s Unofficial Role as Adviser to Trump Campaign is a Clear Red Line
Whitaker served as a "sounding board" for the national co-chairman of the Trump campaign, and continued to have regular private communications with this important grand jury witness.
Whistleblowers: The New “Insider Threat”
Thanks to information recently released by the Senate Judiciary Committee, we now have fresh, incontrovertible evidence that elements of the Intelligence Community (IC) have monitored…
Sisi’s World Youth Forum Celebrations in South Sinai Do Not Reflect the Reality in North Sinai
While the government of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi celebrated the World Youth Forum in Sharm el Sheikh earlier this month, people in North Sinai are living in fear…