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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3,152 Articles

Norms Watch: Tracking the Erosion of Democratic Traditions (Feb. 10-17)

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…

Norms Watch: Tracking the Erosion of Democratic Traditions (Feb. 3-10)

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…
A U.S. Special Forces MH-53 helicopter as seen through a green night vision lens.

The Recent Ground Raid in Yemen–What the Public is Entitled to Know

We know now that last Sunday’s ground operation in Yemen (also discussed here, here, and here) against an alleged Al Qaida in the Arab Peninsula (AQAP) target resulted in tragic…

Trump/Bannon Plan to Counter “Violent Islamic Extremism”—A Gift to White Supremacists, and Islamic Terrorists Too

When Trump’s homeland security “landing team” recently visited the offices of administration officials working on Countering Violent Extremism (CVE), they stated that the…

Bureaucrats are “the Program”

The citizens of Washington, D.C. are used to having their city constantly disparaged and civil servants from around the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia) ably endure the endless…

Norms Watch: Tracking the Erosion of Democratic Traditions (Jan. 27 to Feb. 3)

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…
Eight-year-old American Nawar al-Aulaqi sitting on stairs.

Rare U.S. Military Acknowledgment of Civilian Casualties in Yemen—Concerns about transparency persist

In a rare acknowledgment, the U.S. military admitted last night that civilians, including children, “were likely killed” in the commando raid in Yemen on Sunday. This acknowledgment…

Ukraine v. Russia: Before the International Court of Justice

With all the news around President Donald Trump taking office, and the mass protests, controversial executive orders, and pending lawsuits that followed, it may have escaped notice…

Norms Watch: Tracking the Erosion of Democratic Traditions (Jan. 20-27)

Don’t miss out. Starting today, we’re offering  Norms Watch as a weekly email from Just Security. Subscribe here. THE MEDIA This week, the Trump team continued to…
Yemen on a map.

Trump’s First Drone Strikes: How to Measure His Approach to Transparency and Accountability

The first drone strikes under President Donald Trump were reportedly launched just a day after his inauguration. According to the New York Times, 17 people were killed in three…

Norms Watch: Tracking the Erosion of Democratic Traditions (Jan. 13-20)

Sign up here to receive Norms Watch in your inbox each Friday. Last week, we launched a regular series tracking President-elect Donald Trump’s adherence, or lack thereof, to…
A man walks across the seal of the Central Intelligence Agency at the lobby of the Original Headquarters Building at the CIA headquarters February 19, 2009 in McLean, Virginia.

The CIA’s New Guidelines for Handling Americans’ Information

In acknowledgment of the mass scale of modern electronic intelligence collection, the Central Intelligence Agency today released newly updated guidelines governing how it treats…
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