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.
3,157 Articles

Still at War: The United States in Iraq
There are both benefits and risks to maintaining a U.S. military presence in Iraq.

With Roe v. Wade at Risk, Digital Surveillance Threatens Reproductive Freedom
If Roe is overturned, states will likely use sweeping digital surveillance tools to enforce abortion bans.

Will the EU’s Digital Services Act Reduce Online Extremism?
The EU's Digital Services Act does not sufficiently address challenges to countering online extremism.

Review of Preparing for War: The Making of the Geneva Conventions
Reviewing Boyd van Dijk, Preparing for War: The Making of the Geneva Conventions (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022). Boyd van Dijk has written a superb political and legal…

Surveying Evidence of How Trump’s Actions Activated Jan. 6 Rioters
A triangulation of evidence that extremists treated then-President Trump's words as instructions for the events on Jan. 6.

In Lebanon, Elections Bring Cautious Hope – and an Uphill Battle for Reforms
Weakened incumbents and diaspora voting could allow the country to change direction after years of graft, mismanagement, and democratic decline.

Internal Palestinian Divisions and Their Consequences
Recent municipal elections reinforced the political marginalization of already frustrated younger Palestinians.

Trump’s Next Presidential Coup Attempt Could Work
Flawed laws, enacted in 1845 and 1887, create a dangerous opportunity.

US, EU Face Higher Hurdles Now for Action Against Orbán’s Tightening Grip in Hungary
His landslide re-election and Russia's war on Ukraine makes pushback on the region's autocratization harder -- and more needed -- than ever.

Facebook Provided Warning to FBI Before January 6, GAO Report Reveals
The GAO report's findings raise questions about statements by FBI Director Christopher Wray in previous testimony to Congress.

What Elon Musk Does Not Get about Twitter and Democracy in Africa
Deferring to local laws to determine the bounds of free speech on Twitter - and Musk has suggested doing - would jeopardize hard-won democratic freedoms in Africa.

How Cambodia’s Human Rights Crackdown Undermines Regional Security
The upcoming White House summit with ASEAN offers a chance for the US to press on human rights abuses and costly alliances with China.