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.
3,435 Articles
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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.
Did Trump and His Team Successfully Obstruct Mueller’s Investigation?
Special Counsel Robert Mueller found “numerous links” between Russia and the Trump campaign that are deeply troubling, but the evidence was insufficient to establish a violation…
Annie Donaldson is Not the President’s “Alter Ego”
It could almost be a bar exam question. Under the Executive Branch theory that the president’s senior aides are “absolutely immune” from appearing before Congress, which…
Journalist Watchlist Raises Specter of Civil Rights-Era Secret Surveillance
Throughout his campaign and now his presidency, historians have drawn parallels between President Trump’s treatment of the news media and the Nixon White House’s efforts to…
Congress, Don’t Get Distracted: New Laws Aren’t Needed to Make It a Crime to Accept Foreign Election Help
Focusing on enacting a new law requiring reporting to the FBI is a distraction from holding Trump accountable for what happened during the 2016 election.
Tom Lantos Commission: Enhancing U.S. Ability to Pursue Accountability for Atrocities
I had the honor of testifying last week before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission at a hearing devoted to “Pursuing Accountability for Atrocities.” My written testimony…
Open Memo 2: The Impeachment Roadmap from 1974 to 2020
"An impeachment holds out the possibility that a Republican Senate acquittal of Trump in a trial superintended by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (the most unpopular Senator in…