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.
3,471 Articles
Four Things State and Local Prosecutors Can Do to Combat Federal Corruption
State attorneys general and local district attorneys can take action to uphold the rule of law in the face of unlawful federal actions.
Iran’s Conditions for Reopening Hormuz: What International Law Requires, Permits, and Forbids
Expert analysis of how Iran's conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz fit within the strictures of international law.
Congress Needs a Select Committee That Focuses on Trump Family Corruption
Trump's family is profiting spectacularly from proximity to power, providing an opening for a select committee to investigate, modeled after the 1975 Church Committee.
“In Focus” Syllabus Supplements: U.S. Lethal Strikes on Suspected Drug Traffickers, Operation Southern Spear, and Operation Absolute Resolve (2025–2026)
This syllabus supplement offers curated articles intended to be combined with traditional casebooks in a law school or other higher education classroom.
“In Focus” Syllabus Supplements: ICE and CBP Operations in Minnesota and Other States (2025–2026)
This syllabus supplement offers curated articles intended to be combined with traditional casebooks in a law or higher ed classroom.
“When the Guardrails Erode” Series
Bringing together expert analysis that traces this erosion, assesses the risks for democratic governance, and outlines pathways to rebuild or even reinvent these safeguards.
Free Speech, Immigration Law, and Truth Telling at UCLA Law’s Recent Federalist Society Event
An immigration expert considers questions that might have been asked at DHS General Counsel Percival's UCLA Law Federalist Society event.
Deference Should Follow Expertise, Not Pretext
Anthropic v. Department of War reveals why courts must distinguish genuine national security judgments from pretextual ones and how to do it.
Reinvention Blueprint No. 1: A Government That Works for People
Our democratic institutions are under strain, but one thing must be true if any reform is to take hold: government must deliver, and that delivery must be felt by all people.
Reinvention Blueprint No. 2: Democracy Works When Government Works
America’s civil service, built for a bygone era, urgently needs bold, comprehensive reform to build a government capable of delivering for the 21st century.
Building Governing Machinery for the Next Pro-Democracy Moment
Domestic policy experts offer principles for reinvention meant to inform the work of policymakers, advocates, and governance rebuilders as they redesign federal institutions.
The Trump Administration Throws Gulf AI a Lifeline
The Trump administration significantly relaxed AI export controls on the UAE, and it's unclear what the United States got in return.