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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3,152 Articles
Various countries' flags in front of UN building and fence with UN symbol

National Security at the United Nations This Week (Feb. 19-Feb. 23)

Our weekly series on developments at the United Nations at the intersection of national security, human rights, and the rule of law.
Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference

What to Expect Following Trump’s Civil Fraud Judgment: A Primer on the Appeals Process and More

Answering questions about appellate procedures and how former President Trump may try to stop or limit $450m civil fraud judgment.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, his wife Yulia, opposition politician Lyubov Sobol and other demonstrators take part in a march in memory of murdered Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov in downtown Moscow on February 29, 2020. The crowds hold high white-blue-red flags of Russia all around them. (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)

Russian Opposition Searches for Shreds of Hope After Navalny’s Death

Lines to endorse an antiwar candidate for president and to lay flowers in memory of Navalny show courage and a desire for democracy.

Expert Backgrounder: Federalizing the National Guard and Domestic Use of the Military

An expert explainer on when the President of the United States can 'federalize" the National Guard and deploy U.S. military forces domestically.
Judge Arthur Engoron at the bench

Trump Must Pay $450m Civil Fraud Judgment, But Now Avoids Corp Death Penalty

Trump must pay more than $350 million in “ill-gotten” gains—and can't run a New York business for three years, a judge ruled on Friday - but also clawed back an earlier remedy.
MUNICH, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 16: People leave flowers during a vigil for Alexiei Navalny in front of the Russian Embassy on February 16, 2024 in Munich, Germany. The death of Russian opposition politician, Alexi Navalny, 47, was announced this morning by the Russian Prison Service. Alexei Anatolievich Navalny was a Russian opposition leader, lawyer, anti-corruption activist and political prisoner. Born in Butyn' in 1976, he refounded the Russia of the Future party in 2018 and organised anti-government demonstrations. He was an advocate against corruption in Russia, and against President Vladimir Putin and his government. Navalny was hospitalised in 2020 for poisoning by a novichok agent and accused President Putin of being responsible. An investigation implicated agents from the Federal Security Service. In 2022 he was jailed for nine years after a trial for embezzlement which was labelled a sham by Amnesty International. He is survived by his wife, Yulia Navalnaya and two children.

Navalny’s Death and the Kremlin

The cause of a better Russia for which Navalny gave his life is neither a lost nor impossible cause.
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The ABA Urges Action Against Abusive Commercial Spyware, and Policymakers Should Listen

The leading association of American lawyers added its voice to the chorus of concern surrounding the proliferation of commercial spyware.
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The Just Security Podcast: A Syrian War Crimes Verdict in a Dutch Court

A Dutch court recently convicted a man of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Syrian civil war.
In this illustration photo, a person reads YouTube blog's update on US election misinformation in Los Angeles, June 2, 2023, the day YouTube said it would stop removing content that falsely claims the 2020 US elections were plagued by "fraud, errors or glitches." The policy reversal drew a rebuke from campaigners.

Multiple Threats Converge to Heighten Disinformation Risks to This Year’s US Elections

Both the private sector and government will have to work more seriously to help safeguard American democracy from falsehoods.

Trump Fails to Get N.Y. Hush-Money Case Dismissed, as Judge Gears Up for March Trial

A report from the Manhattan courtroom on the hearing of former President Donald Trump's motion to dismiss DA Alvin Bragg's prosecution.
Men walk along a street ravaged by bombing

Here’s What You Need to Know About the Pentagon’s New Civilian Harm Policy

In December 2023, the Department of Defense (DOD) quietly released its Instruction on Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response (CHMR DOD-I), which was mandated by Section 936 of the…
Protesters burn tires as they block a road during demonstrations called by opposition parties in the Senegalese capital Dakar on Feb. 4, 2024, to protest the postponement of the presidential election. Protesters and police clashed, a day after President Macky Sall announced the indefinite postponement of the election. (Photo by JOHN WESSELS/AFP via Getty Images)

US Government’s $300 Million for West Africa — How to Make it Count

To turn the tide in democracies under stress, the US needs to balances near-term increases in stability with aid for democratic governance.
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