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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3,335 Articles
A Lukoil gas station sign with a red and white logo, Cyrillic lettering, and fuel price display, seen through blurred metal railings against a blue sky.

Sanctions Towards Russia Are Not a Strategy: Toward a More Coherent Statecraft

Sanctions have become a weapon of lawfare: a contest over the rule of law, governance models and the integrity of global markets. But systemic corruption cannot be sanctioned.

The Just Security Podcast: Reporting at a Crossroads

A panel hosted by the Reiss Center and Just Security explores challenges facing national security journalism, legal risks, and newsroom leadership in a polarized landscape.
Illustration of a man handing an envelope to Uncle Sam in front of the U.S. Capitol Buildingn (via Getty Images)

State and Administrative Law Backstops to Federal Corruption

How the Administrative Procedure Act and state unfair competition laws could be used to punish, deter, or expose corruption in the federal government.
A congressional hearing room with multiple U.S. defense and military officials seated at a table beneath the U.S. Department of Defense seal and service emblems on the wall, with portraits, flags, and the nameplate “HON Hegseth” visible in the foreground.

The Armed Forces Need the Military Justice Review Panel

Rather than some new handcrafted DoD entity, it is crucial that the Military Justice Review Panel (MJRP) be restored as required under statute.
Close-up of Benjamin Franklin on scattered one hundred dollar bills.

The United States: Sanctions Implementer and Sanctions Safe Haven?

For decades, the United States has stood as the greatest leader in the sanctions space, as well as the greatest provider of tools for sanctioned entities to circumvent them.
A protester shouts slogans and gestures by a picture of Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro stuck on wheelbarrow, as a symbol of dismissal, during a demonstration in front of the Polish Parliament as Polish Senators decide about new bill changing the judiciary system, in Warsaw, on July 21, 2017 (Photo by WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

If President Trump is Concerned With the Entry of “Criminal Aliens,” Why Is the U.S. Welcoming Corrupt Foreign Officials?

A former justice minister from Poland who is wanted there on abuse of power charges has somehow turned up in the United States.
A large crowd waves Syrian flags — green, white, and black with a red star in the center — in Umayyad Square in Damascus.

The Next Frontier: Overcoming Crime and Corruption in Post-Sanctions States

Post-sanctions economic recovery requires a roadmap, new partners, and new practices that can displace, prosecute, and deter corruption that flourished under sanctions.

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 interactive graphic offers one method.

The Just Security Podcast: The Latest on International Anti-Corruption Enforcement

Host Dani Schulkin is joined by Richard Nephew and Bruce Swartz to discuss shifts in U.S. anti‑corruption policy, international cooperation, and enforcement.
Malaysian police officers in riot gear — helmets, face shields, and red "POLIS"-marked shields — stand in formation on a street, viewed from a low angle with an officer's boots in the foreground.

Three Lessons from the Intersection of Sanctions and Corruption

Without prioritization of enablers, definitions, and political will, sanctions will continue to police the margins of corruption while leaving its center untouched.
A woman speaks at a podium during a Perry World House event, with audience members seated in the foreground and a Perry World House banner and University of Pennsylvania screen behind her.

Introducing a New Symposium: The Intersection of Sanctions and Corruption

Just Security and Perry World House bring together experts to examine sanctions and anti-corruption policy as tools to target corruption and shape global accountability.
The outside columns and relief of the US Treasury Department building in Washington, DC, on July 22, 2019.

Dubious Delistings: Unexplained U.S. Sanctions Removals for the Corrupt and Well-Connected

U.S. targeted sanctions have long promoted accountability, but recent removals under Trump raise concerns about opacity, favoritism, and weakening human rights enforcement.
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