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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3,149 Articles
National Labor Relations Board (via Wikimedia Commons).

Embracing the Purely Adjudicatory Administrative Agency: The Case for a Labor Court

The recent decision in SpaceX v. NLRB, finding the Board’s structure unconstitutional, heightens the urgency for those litigating like cases to reconsider their approach.
The Just Security Podcast

The Just Security Podcast: What Just Happened – Federalization of DC Law Enforcement, Legal Authorities and Updates

Brian Netter and Mark Nevitt join David Aaron to break down the legal and policy implication of the federalization of D.C. law enforcement.
Pedestrians pass a combat vehicle

One Week of Trump’s DC Takeover Attempt: An analysis of the president’s use of military, police, and security services in the nation’s capital

Detailed legal analysis of federalization of DC police and the deployment of Guard, DHS and other forces.
US Department of Justice building at night.

Timeline of Jeffrey Epstein-Ghislaine Maxwell Law Enforcement Failures (1996-2025)

A comprehensive timeline of the failure of federal law enforcement to address Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes.
Members of the DC National Guard talk to a tourist outside Union Station as a storm approaches in Washington, DC, on August 17, 2025. US President Donald Trump on August 11 deployed military and federal law enforcement to curb violent crime in Washington, as he seeks to make good on his campaign pledge to be a "law and order" president. The Republican leader said he would place the city's Metropolitan Police under federal government control while also sending the National Guard onto the streets of the US capital. (Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump, the National Guard, and the District of Columbia: What You Need to Know

The president’s maximalist legal approach in deploying the military may well foreshadow broader use of the military in other American cities.
U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) conduct a traffic stop near the U.S. Capitol

How to Truly Keep Washington, DC Safe: President Trump’s militarized approach undercuts what’s been working

The spectacle in DC is a warning: presidential authority is being stretched simply to grab power. History tells us that’s how liberty erodes.
The Just Security Podcast

Just Security Podcast: What Just Happened – Federalization of Law Enforcement in Washington DC

Carrie Cordero and Donell Harvin join David Aaron to discuss legal and policy considerations regarding federalization of law enforcement in DC.
A sculpture is pictured at the entrance of the Brazilian Supreme Court building where the courtrooms are located in Brasilia on May 19, 2025. (Photo by EVARISTO SA/AFP via Getty Images)

Brazil’s Digital Sovereignty Is Under Attack: How Courts, Platforms, and Constitutional Law Are Redefining Democracy Online

At the heart of Brazil’s approach to digital constitutionalism is a legal framework that treats platform governance as essential to democracy.
People walk past buildings destroyed by earthquake in Hatay's historical old town, on February 05, 2025 in Hatay, Turkey. On February 6, 2023, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey, followed by another 7.5-magnitude tremor. The quakes caused widespread destruction in southern Turkey and northern Syria and claimed more than 50,000 lives. (Photo by Burak Kara/Getty Images)

The Human Costs of Systemic Corruption

When core functions of the state become warped into tools of personal enrichment or political control, ordinary people suffer. The poor and marginalized are hit hardest.
Prisoners sit at maximum security penitentiary CECOT (Center for the Compulsory Housing of Terrorism) on April 4, 2025 in Tecoluca, San Vicente, El Salvador. (Photo by Alex Peña/Getty Images)

In Congress, a Welcome, and Well-Executed, Next Step to Stop Trump’s Transfers to Torture

Six new bills demanding that the executive branch provide basic information about deportations from U.S. shores should pass unanimously.
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 9: The U.S, Capitol Building seen at dusk on June 9, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)

Three Thorny Issues to Watch in Congressional Investigations

Amidst an escalation of interbranch tension, the authors explore three emerging legal issues affecting the law of congressional oversight and separation of powers.
Judge gavel on the laptop.

The Freedom of Information Act and Deteriorating Federal Transparency Infrastructure

Weakening FOIA does not merely impair public knowledge — it also reduces the likelihood that abuses will be detected and deterred.
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