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.
3,158 Articles

China and the Rule of Law: A Cautionary Tale for the International Community
The Communist Party of China has been leading an extraordinary effort to transform the country into a fazhi (法制) nation or “a country under the rule of law.” The phrase…

Carpenter Ruling Brings Us Back From Brink of Orwellian Surveillance State
Orwell described a world where limitless surveillance makes us question every action, every thought. Last Friday’s decision in Carpenter v. United States brought us one step…

The Broad Reach of Carpenter v. United States
By focusing on the nature of the information rather than on the telecommunications nitty-gritty used to gather the information or the structure of the database in which the information…

Trump as a Russian Target – Through the Eyes of a former CIA Russian Expert
Donald Trump would have been an active target of Russian intelligence since the moment they laid eyes on him for two reasons that come straight from the classical espionage textbook:…

Exigent Circumstances: iOS 12’s USB Restricted Mode and Warrantless iPhone Access
Apple recently confirmed the introduction of a new feature called “USB Restricted Mode” in the latest version of the iPhone’s mobile operating system, iOS 12. If enabled…

Dangerous Drone Bill Emerges from Senate Committee
It’s rare that a congressional committee tasked with overseeing homeland security approves a bill that would not only authorize sweeping surveillance, but also could pose a significant…

Just Security Podcast: Former FBI Agent Asha Rangappa on Inspector General’s Report on FBI Actions in 2016
On Friday, John Reed spoke with Yale University senior lecturer and former FBI Agent, Asha Rangappa about the Inspector General’s report on the FBI’s actions in the…

Not the Final Word
Can a sitting president be indicted? The public should be skeptical of the argument that a president can’t be, which frequently relies on two opinions by the Justice Department’s…

Paul Manafort = Evidence of Collusion
"The following facts essentially speak for themselves. Simply put, any fair reading of the public record would surely come to the conclusion that there is significant evidence…

What’s Ukraine Got to do With It? A Sideshow or Central Inquiry in Russia Probe?
Questions from a U.S. District Court judge recently in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s case against former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort illustrate a common point of…

What Could Michael Cohen Tell Mueller about Russia Collusion?
"Cohen was in frequent contact with foreign individuals [who] had knowledge of or played a role in 2016 election meddling," according to two FBI agents, reported Buzzfeed News.

Testimony from the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Hearing on Election Interference
Ryan Goodman, Just Security‘s co-editor-in-chief, is testifying on Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of its hearing on, “Election Interference:…