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.
3,157 Articles
All Politics Is Local…and So Is National Security
The current public kerfuffle about White House security clearances has focused the country’s attention on the sensitivity of federal government information and the potential…
Sessions’ Firing McCabe Violated His Promise to Recuse
Most focus on what the Attorney General said in his statement of recusal in March 2017. What has been overlooked is when Sessions promised the Senate, under oath, that he would…
Why Holding Asylum Seekers Without Parole is Unlawful
Alexi, an 18-year-old man from Honduras, has been locked behind bars in an orange jumpsuit in York County Prison in Pennsylvania since November. Why? Because he sought protection…
How Trump Might Replace Sessions with Pruitt as Attorney General
Gabriel Sherman of Vanity Fair reports of “two Republicans in regular contact with the White House” who say that President Trump “has discussed a plan to fire…
Mueller’s Choice of Criminal Charges: Why the Trump Team Should Be Very Worried
The Russians not only told the Trump campaign that they had dirt on Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails, but also previewed for George Papadopoulos that they could…
Putin’s Story of What Happened in 2016 Sounds Familiar
Where have I heard that story before? Tonight, NBC will air an hour-long special featuring a sit-down interview between Megyn Kelly and Russian President Vladimir Putin. A preview…
The Post-Election Mystery of Carter Page
Do we all need Carter Page, the former foreign policy adviser on the Trump campaign, to be a little more than he really is? For supporters of President Donald Trump (and Page himself),…
Do Not Pass Go: The Predictable Results of Subpoena Defiance
A short walk down memory lane shows how wrong former Trump campaign aide Sam Nunberg is about the consequences of defying a subpoena.
New Ruling Shows How Few Options There Are for Intelligence Community Whistleblowers
Last week, a federal judge dismissed a complaint by a CIA whistleblower (and spy), who goes by the pseudonym James Pars. The ruling by Judge Trevor McFadden could affect the willingness…
Supreme Court Cases Support Obstruction Charges Against the President
Is there a fundamental weakness in the potential case of obstruction against President Donald Trump? At the end of the day, the known facts regarding Trump’s actions are likely…
Norms Watch: Democracy, the Trump Administration, and Reactions to It (Feb. 2018)
Editor’s Note: 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…
Russia “Previewed” Plan to Disseminate Emails with Trump Campaign
Goodman analyzes Schiff’s revelation that Russia gave preview to Trump campaign that the Kremlin could help disseminate stolen emails. Then he addresses the legally important…