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
Why Dangling a Pardon Could Be an Obstruction of Justice—Even if the Pardon Power is Absolute
According to the New York Times and Washington Post, Donald Trump's personal lawyer may have offered a pardon to Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn to get them to avoid cooperating…
Cambridge Analytica and Its Foreign National Staff Violated U.S. Laws
The nonpartisan group Common Cause has filed complaints against Cambridge Analytica before the Federal Election Commission and the Justice Department for allegedly unlawful involvement…
It’s Not a Filter Bubble. It’s a Filter Shroud
The filter bubble is floating in hot water these days. “Your filter bubble is destroying democracy,” Wired tells us. Bill Gates says filter bubbles are “super important”…
Somewhat Improved, the CLOUD Act Still Poses a Threat to Privacy and Human Rights
Above: President Donald Trump gestures to the $1.3 trillion spending bill passed by Congress early Friday. The president just signed a 2,232 page omnibus bill to fund the government…
Congress Should Place More Limits on Cellphone Location Tracking After Carpenter
This spring, the United States Supreme Court will issue a ruling in the landmark case of Carpenter v. United States, deciding whether the government requires a warrant to continuously…
How Reconciliation in Iraq Could Stop Collective Punishment
Policymakers in Iraq, and in countries supporting its government, are debating what kind of reconciliation efforts are needed post-ISIS. Meanwhile, without fanfare, the town of…
Privacy and Civil Liberties under the CLOUD Act: A Response
[Cross-Posted at Lawfare] In a post last week, Neema Singh Guliani of the ACLU and Naureen Shah of Amnesty International disagreed with our earlier arguments as to “Why the CLOUD…
Did Cambridge Analytica Leverage Russian Disinformation for Trump?
The FBI investigation into Russian election interference already includes exploration of how far-right media outlets propelled Russian disinformation. What role did Cambridge Analytica…
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…