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
What Hungary’s Anti-Corruption Election Can Teach U.S. Democracy Advocates
Hungary's anti-corruption win offers U.S. democracy advocates lessons, but success requires a credible messenger and a concrete plan.
No, Trump Can’t Withhold Anti-Terrorism Funds to Pressure States to Change Their Election Rules
The attempt to condition states' counterterrorism funding on changes to election rules is unlawful and likely to be challenged in court.
Before the Assembly: The Removal Vote and the Question of Fitness for Office
If the vote is understood as a judgment about the institution’s capacity to carry out its mandate, then the decision can be grounded in the interests of the Court.
If Federal Courts Don’t Trust Trump’s DOJ, Should Civil Rights Funders?
After suspending donations to SPLC, major charitable giving platforms must question whether it is prudent to defer to a DOJ that courts no longer trust.
Why Gold Threatens Peace in South Sudan
Without robust safeguards, ramping up gold production in South Sudan could fuel corruption, money laundering, and conflict.
AI and Warrantless Foreign Intelligence Surveillance
The use of LLMs for foreign intelligence surveillance erodes the rules put in place to safeguard Americans' civil liberties.
Trust, But Verify: Three Grand Jury Reforms to Hold the Government Accountable
Steps should be taken to strengthen grand juries by giving courts and defense counsel more tools to act as a much-needed check on prosecutors.
AI and the Commercial Data Loophole
The Pentagon’s new deals to deploy commercial LLMs on its classified networks provide it with a powerful surveillance capability that could be turned on Americans.
“Zero Evidence”: How Judges and Grand Juries Have Rejected Trump Administration Efforts to Investigate and Prosecute
A detailed record of federal courts and grand juries rejecting the Trump administration’s use of subpoenas, search warrants, and indictments.
The Alien Terrorist Removal Court’s First Case
Unpacking the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, what we know about its first case, and what to watch for going forward.
Key Trump Deportation Strategies: Removing, Replacing, and Pressuring Immigration Judges
New data shows how mass firings, loyalist replacements, and pressure tactics are turning U.S. immigration courts into a deportation enforcement arm.
An Initial Readout of Trump’s Election-Interference Speech
An intelligence official on what the declassified material shows—and does not show—about foreign threats and the president’s allegation of an intelligence community cover-up.