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
The Collateral Costs of a Logan Act Prosecution
Michael Flynn’s plea hearing last Friday—which I had the good fortune to witness—was accompanied by an extraordinary “Statement of the Offense.” The document indicates…
Hayden, NSA, and the Road to 9/11
Retired Gen. Michael Hayden, former director of the NSA and CIA (and now, a national security analyst at CNN), has recently emerged as a leading critic of the Trump administration,…
Norms Watch: Democracy, the Trump Administration, and Reactions to It (Nov. 2017)
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…
Why Trump’s Lawyer is Dead Wrong on Obstruction of Justice
President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, John Dowd, now claims that the president “cannot obstruct justice because he is the chief law enforcement officer” under Article…
What Questions Does Flynn’s Plea Agreement Raise?
Michael Flynn’s plea agreement, announced Friday, brought with it new documents, new details, and so many new questions. The really big ones stem from the statement of offense,…
Special Edition Just Security Podcast: Mike Flynn’s Plea Deal
I sat down with former White House lawyer Andy Wright to have a quick conversation about today’s news that President Donald Trump’s former National Security Advisor…
What Does Flynn Plea Deal Mean?
Special Counsel Robert Mueller announced this morning that a plea hearing for retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump’s first national security adviser, would…
Warrantless Backdoor Searches are Not “Business as Usual”
This week, Just Security ran two posts, one by Matt Olsen and one by Asha Rangappa, defending the government’s warrantless access to Americans’ communications obtained “incidentally”…
Former Prosecutor Renato Mariotti’s Tweet Threads on National Security (Nov. 25-Dec. 1)
Here is an exposition and analysis of some of this week’s national security-related threads authored by Just Security Editorial Board member and former federal prosecutor Renato…
When Erik Prince Called US Intelligence Assessment of Russian Election Hack “too cute and very, very thin”
Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater, testifies on Thursday afternoon before the House Intelligence Committee in the Russia investigation. The committee will later release a…
The Supreme Court May Be Ready to Further Limit Warrantless Access to Communications
Yesterday, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Carpenter v. United States, a case involving the privacy of cell phone location information. At issue is whether the government…
Episode 47 of the National Security Law Podcast: Donuts and Depth Charges
And…we’re back! Fresh off of Thanksgiving, Professor Chesney and I are (all too) fired up to discuss the latest national security law news (not to mention a bunch of stuff…