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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3,178 Articles
(L/R) South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Mexico's Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Canada's Foreign Minister Anita Anand, Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Britain's Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot, and India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar gather for a photo during the G7 Foreign Ministers' meeting in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, on November 12, 2025. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The International Law Obligation of States to Stop Intelligence Support for U.S. Boat Strikes

The only way States can avoid complicity in “arbitrary killings” under international human rights law is to refrain from sharing intelligence that, in part, enables them.
Gavel And Dog Tag On American Flag

Soldiers in Robes: Why Military Lawyers Can Not and Should Not Serve as Immigration Judges

DOJ’s recent decision to appoint several military lawyers, or JAGs, to serve as immigration judges is not only against the law, but a bad idea.
The Just Security Podcast Cover Image

The Just Security Podcast: Examining the Trump Administration’s New Antifa Designations

Tom Joscelyn talks with former DOJ counsel Tom Brzozowski about new Antifa designations, their civil liberties impact, and changing limits on speech and association.
Hand of a person in military fatigues holding a small U.S. flag in foreground, in front of servicemembers marching in blue uniforms, white hats, long blue coats on a parade route during a rainy day.

The Year Every Young American Should Serve

We should create universal access to national service: a year-long opportunity for every young American. The unity and future of our democracy demands it.
The Washington Monument reflects in the Capitol Reflecting Pool at sunset on a warm evening on June 2, 2025 in Washington, DC.(Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)

The Anti-Corruption Tracker: Mapping the Erosion of Oversight and Accountability

This Anti-Corruption Tracker focuses on the erosion or dismantling of oversight and accountability systems within the United States Executive Branch.
Peruvians light candles during a vigil for the victims of the anti-government protest after weeks of demonstrations over corruption and organized crime in Lima on October 26, 2025. On October 22, Peru's government deployed soldiers to the streets of Lima under a state of emergency declared following weeks of anti-government protests over corruption and organized crime. (Photo by ERNESTO BENAVIDES/AFP via Getty Images)

Impunity by Design: Latin America’s Quiet Crisis of Accountability

Across Latin America, political elites are quietly passing laws that narrow definitions, shield allies, and block legal pathways to investigate corruption and organized crime.
IMAGES (left to right): Natural disaster and its consequences (via Getty Images); In this picture taken on September 28, 2022, an internally displaced flood-affected family sits outside their tent at a makeshift tent camp in Jamshoro district of Sindh province (Photo by Rizwan Tabassum/AFP via Getty Images; Trees smolder and burn during the Dixie fire near Greenville, California on August 3, 2021. – Numerous fires are raging through the state’s northern forests, as climate change makes wildfire season longer, hotter and more devastating. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Just Security’s Climate Archive

A catalog of articles analyzing the diplomatic, political, legal, security, and humanitarian consequences of the international climate crisis.
Syrian President Ahmad Al-Shara (R) and Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani (L) bid farewell to participants at the Syrian National Dialogue Conference on February 25, 2025 in Damascus, Syria. A national dialogue conference intended to help chart Syria's political future after the fall of former President Bashar Assad began at the Presidential Palace in Damascus on Monday. (Photo by Ali Haj Suleiman/Getty Images)

Sectarian Violence and the Price of Ignoring Transitional Justice in Syria

Sharaa must pursue accountability for both perpetrators of violence against Syrian minorities since Assad's fall, and against former Assad officials complicit in war crimes.
Demonstrators protest near police officers

Defending ‘Sanctuary’ Principles During the Chicago Crackdown

Local governments must exercise their constitutional power to cut off cooperation with federal authorities that undermine residents' rights.
The Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2795 (2025) on the European Union Force Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR ALTHEA).

U.N. Extension of EU Troops in Bosnia Obscures Fissures Reflected in Debate

The EU should firm up its policy to help Bosnia advance toward EU membership with democratic governance. Only in this way can long-term stability be assured.
Binders of executive orders stacked on a desk.

Collection: Just Security’s Coverage of Trump Administration Executive Actions

Coverage of key developments, including in concise “What Just Happened” expert explainers, legal and policy analysis, and more. Check back frequently for updates.
Dodik, at right, shakes hands with Putin to the left, with another figure in the back left of the frame, in an ornately decorated room.

U.S. Lifts Sanctions on Putin-Backed Bosnian Serb Separatist Leader

The Trump administration's sanctions removal for Bosnian Serb separatist Milorad Dodik precedes a Russia-Led U.N. Security Council meeting.
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