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
Just Security Podcast: ACLU’s David Cole on Defending our Democratic Traditions
Roughly a year ago, I sat down with ACLU Legal Director and Just Security editorial board member David Cole to pick his brain about what our various independent government branches…
The Trial of Paul Manafort: What to Expect
The trial of former Trump campaign director Paul Manafort is scheduled to begin today in Virginia before Judge T.S. Ellis. Manafort is facing myriad charges, including tax fraud,…
Reports: Carter Page Was Subject to FISA Warrant in 2013/2014
I have always recalled a nugget buried deep in a CNN report published in Aug. 4, 2017. The 61st paragraph of the report reads: "Page had been the subject of a secret intelligence…
Timeline: Trump’s Acts of Accommodation/Engagement with Russia
"Some may view certain steps as acts of rapprochement aimed at a more cooperative relationship with Russia to fight common enemies and avoid dangerous escalation. Other observers…
A Path to Prosecuting President Trump
Justice Department regulations allow Special Counsel Robert Mueller, in “extraordinary circumstances,” to ask Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to approve a departure…
If Trump Revoked Critics’ Security Clearances, Could They Sue?
There’s a strong argument to be made that at least some constitutional challenges to the revocation of security clearances would be judicially reviewable.
The Real Target of Trump’s Security Clearance Threats
I can’t believe I’m writing a column in defense of former Director of National Intelligence (DNI) James Clapper, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former National Security…
Setting the Record Straight: The Pardon Power is Part of the Rule of Law
Writing from the perspective of a former federal prosecutor, Barbara McQuade decried President Donald Trump’s most recent exercise of the pardon power, which supposedly poses…
Helsinki Summit: A Time for Choosing—Three observations by former senior CIA officer
"This is a time of choosing. Government officials, senior and junior alike, take an oath to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the United States, not to obey any single President.…
Poland: Failing at Both Law and Justice
Poland’s justice system is in “disarray” for the second time in just over two years as a result of the policies of the country’s Law and Justice-led government. The history…
The Trump-Bolton Misdirection on Russian Extradition: Plenty of Legal Options Exist to Gain Custody of Russian Suspects
John Bolton is wrong. Extradition and other legal options are potentially available to gain custody of indicted Russian hackers. "In their Helsinki meeting, President Trump can—and…
Six Big Takeaways from Mueller’s Indictment of Russian Intel Officers
One of the biggest takeaways from Mueller's indictment? WikiLeaks appears to have been deeply involved in a Russian intelligence operation.