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

Clearinghouse: New York Attorney General Corporate Fraud Case

Repository containing a collection of information about New York Attorney General Letitia James's corporate fraud case against Donald Trump.
Special counsel Jack Smith stands at a podium in front of flags.

Clearinghouse: January 6th Election Interference Case – District of Columbia

This repository contains a collection of information for researchers, journalists, educators, scholars, and the public at large. This particular repository is part of a much larger…
Alvin Bragg stands in front of a podium next to a poster depicting the case against Donald Trump

Clearinghouse: 2016 Election Interference Case – Manhattan District Attorney

Repository containing a collection of information about Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case against Donald Trump.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (C), with Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly (R) and Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc (L) speaks at a lectern in front of 6 Canadian flags during a press conference

Congress Should Protect Americans from Transnational Repression

U.S. Congress should support the Transnational Repression Reporting Act to make clear that cross-border authoritarian repression will not be tolerated in the United States.
The episode title appears with sound waves behind it.

The Just Security Podcast: ‘The Presidents and the People’ Book Talk

Corey Brettschneider discusses his new book "The Presidents and the People" and the lessons it offers for American democracy.
2024 election vote buttons

Top 10 Election Litigation Cases in 2024 Implicating the Rule of Law

In this top ten list updated weekly, the most important of hundreds of election-law cases are ranked for their rule of law implications.
Donald Trump, Satya Nadella, and Jeff Bezos sit, in conversation at a table.

Rising Authoritarianism and Plutocracy Are a Dangerous Mix for Press Freedom

U.S. democracy appears so strong as to be unbreakable. But the billionaire class is its weakest point: small, concentrated, and all too often uninterested in following the rules…
A cherry tree in bloom near the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., U.S. Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg

Does a “Presumptive” Privilege Protect President Trump from Prosecution for Pressuring Pence?

Prosecuting Trump for pressuring Pence to refuse to count valid electoral ballots would be a well-founded prosecution for a serious offense.
A person types on a laptop. Translucent icons litter the image showing locks, percents, outlines of people, shields, computers, and more.

Seizing the Moment: Opportunities to Regulate Spyware and the ‘Pall Mall Process’

If the Pall Mall Process is to remain relevant, then France and the U.K. must become advocates for national and global regulation on spyware.
A seated woman in a red shirt, wearing a blue hat and blue gloves, reviews a ballot that she holds in front of her.

Local Officials Cannot Block Election Certification. But They Can Fuel Disinformation.

Local officials cannot prevent the results of an election from being finalized — but what comes next could be dangerous.
The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Frictionless Government and the National Security Constitution

Layering different kinds of friction is crucial. Checks that may restrain a unilateralist Executive, such as empowering Congress structurally to push back effectively, can still…

On Dictatorship and Self-Censorship: Lessons the Owner of a Sudanese Newspaper Could Give Jeff Bezos

"It is vital that we discuss the Washington Post’s and L.A. Times’s non-endorsement in the U.S. presidential election, plainly and openly, as what they actually are."
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