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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3,157 Articles
Rows of American flags in front of the U.S. Capitol building.

The News Media’s “Democracy Beats” Won’t Beat Back Autocracy

To protect democracy, the press must do more than punish stories. It needs to collaborate, support unions, litigate, and improve diversity.
A US Predator unmanned drone armed with a missile stands on the tarmac of Kandahar military airport on June 13, 2010.

Biden’s New Counterterrorism Policy Guidance Further Entrenches the Forever War

Biden's classified policy memorandum on counterterrorism drone strikes is just one more stepping stone in the long path of the forever war.

Biden’s Democracy Gap: How U.S. Policy Helps Underwrite Egypt’s Human Rights Crisis

The Biden administration should reconsider withholding military aid to Egypt in light of its continuing human rights abuses.
Sudanese demonstrators take the streets in Khartoum on June 3, 2022, holding cutouts of soldiers toting rifles, to demand justice for scores of pro-democracy protesters killed during the suppression of a 2019 sit-in against now-ousted dictator Omar al-Bashir. A protester was shot dead in the Sudanese capital, medics said, as UN human rights expert Amada Dieng urged authorities to "refrain from use of excessive force" against demonstrators. (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

UN Members Should Reject Sudan Junta’s Membership on the Human Rights Council

The country, now in the grip of a military regime, seeks a second term, and the African Union is complicit in supporting the bid.

US Reinvests in Ethnic Oligarchy in Bosnia, Abandoning Support for Integration

President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken, together with allies, should rethink Western Balkans policy based on first principles.
A Haitian police officer confronts people in line at a gas station, clamoring to collect fuel with their plastic containers, in Port-au-Prince on July 15, 2022.  The Haitian economy -- fragile from incessant crime and political instability -- appeared close to collapse as the war in Ukraine sent fuel prices soaring. (Photo by RICHARD PIERRIN/AFP via Getty Images)

People in Haiti Are Dying Because They Lack Water, Food, and Medical Treatment

Amid a gang-fueled economic and social meltdown, the US must help Haiti secure a government that takes responsibility for people's needs.
A woman sitting at a laptop computer watches an investigation film by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny showing a lavish palace, located along Russia's southern Black Sea, that Navalny claimed is owned by Russian President Vladimir Putin, on January 25, 2021 in Moscow. Putin denied owning the property. (Photo by ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images)

The Urgency of Sustaining Momentum in the Fight Against Kleptocracy

It fueled Russia's war on Ukraine. Now it's time for democratic societies to address this challenge for the long haul, including at home.
Supporters and Judges of Krakow Courts hold banners during a protest against an ongoing session of the Disciplinary Chamber of Poland's Supreme Court to consider the application of the National Public Prosecutor's Office for permission to detain and forcibly bring Judge Igor Tuleya in front of Krakow's Appeal Court on April 21, 2021 in Krakow, Poland. Igor Tuleya, who had been critical of changes to Poland's justice system, had become a symbol of the struggle for judicial independence in Poland. The EU had taken Poland to court over judicial independence concerns. (Photo by Omar Marques/Getty Images)

Poland’s Judicial Reform Falls Short of EU Expectations, Complicating Cooperation Against Russia

Pres. Duda’s failure to reverse course on actions that increase tensions and decrease solidarity in Europe weakens their alliance with the US.
Bus faces the camera in foreground. Dome of US Capitol Building in background.

In Weaponizing Asylum Seekers, DeSantis & Abbott Unwittingly Demonstrate the Possibility of Safe Transit Policies for Migrants

Ironically, the governors' actions show that the US could implement policies that better reflect the realities of migration - by treating migrants has human beings rather than…
Russian Federation Minister for Foreign Affairs Sergey V. Lavrov speaks during the United Nations Security Council meeting at the United Nations Headquarters to discuss the conflict in Ukraine on September 22, 2022 in New York City.

Аргументи щодо створення Спеціального трибуналу для переслідування злочину агресії, вчиненого щодо України

Частина IV: обмін інформацією, участь потерпілих, робота з інформацією тощо
Russian Federation Minister for Foreign Affairs Sergey V. Lavrov speaks during the United Nations Security Council meeting at the United Nations Headquarters to discuss the conflict in Ukraine on September 22, 2022 in New York City.

The Case for Creating a Special Tribunal to Prosecute the Crime of Aggression Committed Against Ukraine (Part IV)

Discussing details for an international tribunal for aggression against Ukraine including outreach, victim participation, and more.
A picture obtained by AFP outside Iran on September 21, 2022, shows Iranian demonstrators taking to the streets of the capital Tehran during a protest for Mahsa Amini, days after she died in police custody.

Dancing with the ‘Devil’ in Iran: Why Negotiations with Tehran are Necessary

The United States cannot destroy Iran’s nuclear ambitions with bombs, and it will not go to war in the Middle East to impose regime change in Tehran.
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