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.
3,168 Articles
When Deference is No Longer Due
Reasons for historical deference to the executive branch's judgement in matters of national security and foreign affairs have been severely undermined.
Weaponizing the Espionage Act: What It Means for Whistleblowers, Reporters, and Democracy
How the Trump administration could weaponize the Espionage Act and its chilling effect to control the press and justify suppression.
Attacks on U.S. Legal Profession Reflect Global Slide in Countries It Once Aided
Political pressures like those used to silence legal professionals and undermine rule of law in Europe and Eurasia echo patterns of the autocratic playbook.
The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part II — What We Know about U.S. Vessel Strikes One Month In
Tess Bridgeman and Rachel Goldbrenner are joined by Rebecca Ingber and Brian Finucane to analyze the facts, the law, and implications of U.S. killings in the Caribbean.
After Another Sham Election in Georgia, the Country’s Citizens Persist
Georgians will fight for their democracy, as the ruling party now becomes one of the world's many paranoid, insecure dictatorships that know their days are numbered.
Swatting Attacks and Nihilistic Violent Extremism: A Primer
Swatting attacks are sometimes dismissed as pranks or hoaxes. But they’ve wreaked havoc on college campuses this year and a network of extremists is behind many of them.
Trump’s Outline of a Domestic War
Former Undersecretary of Navy and Chair of Defense Policy Board discusses import of President Trump's address to active duty military leaders at Quantico.
The Trump Administration’s Use of State Power Against Media: Keeping Track of the Big Picture
Tracking the use of State power requires systematically identifying linkages between individual developments and broader trends. This graphic offers one method.
What the Senate Judiciary Committee Should Ask A.G. Bondi on Drug Cartel Strikes
Annotated questions Congress should be asking about U.S. military strikes on suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean.
Assassinations in America: How Political Violence Became Personal
Americans can no longer turn to their political leadership to avert the catastrophe of political violence.
FAQ for Senior Military Officers at Hegseth’s Quantico Meeting
Military justice expert Eugene Fidell answers crucial questions ahead of next week's senior military meeting with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
Repression as Rescue: The Authoritarian Logic of Trump’s Early Executive Orders
The rhetorical threats Trump employed during his campaign are directly echoed in the titles and content of his second-term EOs.