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.
3,183 Articles
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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."
Much Ado About Nothing: Recent Changes to Department of Defense Directive 5240.01
Recent changes to this Defense Department directive do not reflect any change in policy and provide no new authority to deploy the military domestically or to use lethal force…
The U.S. National Security Memorandum on AI: Leading Experts Weigh In
Leading experts unpack the Biden administration's National Security Memorandum on AI.
Don’t Let Military and Overseas Voters Become the Next Targets for Voter Suppression
We hope Americans from both sides of the aisle will recognize the peril in withholding the right to vote from active-duty military personnel, from U.S. diplomats, and from all…
Symposium on Harold Hongju Koh’s ‘The National Security Constitution in the 21st Century’
Just Security is pleased to hold a symposium of leading experts engaging with Professor Harold Hongju Koh's recently-released The National Security Constitution in the 21st Century.
Courts Blocked Georgia’s Hand-Count Rule, But Risk of Election Misinformation Remains
The hand-counting rule provides foreign adversaries with a potentially tailor-made narrative to spread election disinformation.