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.
3,474 Articles
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…
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…
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…
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…
Why the Cartwright Pardon is More Important Than the Manning Commutation
Today’s news of President Obama’s decision to commute most of the rest of Chelsea Manning’s 35-year prison sentence has received (and will receive) significant…
Dissenting from Within the Trump Administration
After the presidential election, many of those who were already working in government or who were considering joining began to ask questions about the ethics of working for a Trump…