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.
3,333 Articles
President Trump’s Cronyism and Excesses Should Prompt Security Clearance Reform
The Trump years threaten to become a boiling point for numerous simmering constitutional conflicts, but one of the most innocuous-looking might end up being one of the most important.…
Trump’s Revocation of Reporting on Lethal Strikes: All Eyes on Congress, Now
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order revoking a section of President Barack Obama’s Executive Order on civilian casualties that required annual reporting…
The Ripening: The House Judiciary Committee Investigation Will Bear Fruit
The House Judiciary Committee sent out document requests to 81 parties associated with President Donald Trump in its wide-ranging investigation into “allegations of corruption,…
Colombian President’s Veto Threat Challenges Peace Process
Colombian President Ivan Duque is threatening to veto legislation that would endorse and regulate a special tribunal established to address atrocities committed during the country’s…
Can Trump Organization Executives Be Prosecuted for Money Laundering?
"Michael Cohen has painted a target on Trump Organization executives in court and Congress. If prosecutors and grand jurors accept the evidence presented in Cohen’s SDNY sentencing…
The White House Counsel’s Flawed Response to Congress on Security Clearances
Intensifying congressional oversight activity prompted President Donald Trump to accuse Democrats of “presidential harassment.” He complained — falsely — that President…
Trump Told Cohen to Lie to Congress About “Collusion” in General—Not just the Moscow Tower deal
"What has largely escaped notice is that Cohen directly implicated the President in an instruction to lie about collusion more generally. Cohen’s about face on the question of…
Norms Watch: Damage to Democracy and Rule of Law in February 2019
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 norms in reactions…
Trump’s Invoking Obama Signing Statement as Reason Not to Report to Congress on Khashoggi Murder: A Roundup of Expert Views
The Trump administration has refused to submit a report to Congress, as required by federal statute, providing a determination whether Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin…
The Biggest Bombshell in Michael Cohen’s Written Testimony
'"The biggest bombshell is this one: Cohen's statement that Roger Stone informed candidate Trump in advance of Wikileaks' release of the stolen emails (and Trump's responding with…
Mueller’s Findings: Why DOJ Non-Disclosure Policy and Grand Jury Secrecy May Not Apply
As the Watergate scandal deepened in November 1973, President Richard Nixon declared: “People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook.” Nixon was right.…
Stop Using the Word “Collusion”—How to Frame the Critical Question at the Heart of Trump-Russia
Much of the discussion surrounding the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russia in the months leading up to the 2016 election has been mystifying for the American public. As the…