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.
3,152 Articles

New California Human Rights Legislation
Amidst all the coverage of California’s new assisted suicide law, it may have been missed that Governor of California Jerry Brown signed important human rights legislation into…

Precision Weapons, Mistakes, and the Need for Transparency
This post is the latest installment of our “Monday Reflections” feature, in which a different Just Security editor examines the big stories from the previous week or looks…

Congressional Due Process Failure: A Benghazi Example
The consequences of congressional scrutiny can be profound for the subjects of lawmakers’ investigations, yet the second Congress calls, almost none of the safeguards of the…

Letter to the Editor: To Combat Extremism, We Will Need More Than Words
Earlier this week, the UN hosted a high level meeting in response to President Obama’s call for a new strategy to “combat violent extremism.” As Syrian refugees flee to Europe…

The Complexities of Women, Peace, Security and Countering Violent Extremism
In a recent post, Fionnuala Ní Aoláin analyzes the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee’s (CTC) first-ever open briefing on the role of women in countering terrorism…

The British Library and the Taliban Sources Project: A Short Reply to Professor Walker
I was surprised, after reading Professor Clive Walker’s post The British Library Did Not Need to Self-Censor to find that his “assurance” to the British Library – that…

Charlie Hebdo and Hate Speech: Don’t Prosecute the Messenger
Nine months after their offices were attacked by Muslim extremists, Charlie Hebdo’s cartoonists are facing calls for prosecution for allegedly inciting hatred through cartoons…

Six National Security Questions Presidential Candidates Should Have To Answer
A lot of ink has already been spilled on Carly Fiorina’s … strange … focus in last week’s Republican debate on expanding the (already massive) Sixth Fleet as one of the…

Chris Soghoian on Collaboration Between Lawyers, Technologists, and Policymakers
As faithful readers of our site are hopefully aware, Just Security will be celebrating its second anniversary on Monday with an event dedicated to exploring one of the most important…

Lifting the Gag Order on One NSL is Good, But It’s Just a Start
Earlier this week, the public got a look at that rare occurrence in a national security case: a court lifting a gag on the recipient of a surveillance request. On August 28, Judge…

Counter-Terrorism Committee: Addressing the Role of Women in Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism
The UN Security Council’s Women, Peace and Security Agenda (WPS) has become the dominant discourse framing women’s engagement in international affairs over the past fifteen…

DOJ’s New Stingray Policy is a Good Start, But It’s Got Problems
Last Thursday afternoon, just as we were all heading out for the Labor Day weekend, the Justice Department released new policy guidance on the use of cell-site simulator technology.…