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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3,333 Articles
A child stands near two US army vehicles, which carry American flags. Nearby is a male American military officer.

How the FY23 NDAA Can Strengthen Oversight and Transparency of U.S. Security Assistance and Civilian Harm (Part II)

The draft NDAA contains a number of important provisions for preventing and responding to civilian harm.
People hold a banner as riot police patrols in background during a march called by the UAS union to call for better security measures against terrorism, in Ouagadougou on September 16, 2019. (Photo by IISSOUF SANOGO/AFP via Getty Images)

Preventing Violent Extremism in Africa: The Overlooked Role of Mayors and the Governments They Lead

As security-heavy tactics fail, a more localized strategy is needed to focus on socio-economic and political grievances that fuel extremism.
Trump boards Marine One as he departs the White House on January 20, 2021 in Washington, DC. A person in military uniform salutes him as he passes.

The Absence of Any Executive Privilege by a Former President For National Security Secrets

The landmark Supreme Court case that both sides point to — Nixon v. GSA — has an even more important lesson.
A line of US soldiers walk in the countryside of the town of al-Malikiya in Syria.

Tit-for-Tat Hostilities In Syria: War Powers and International Law Implications

The Biden administration's latest war powers report to Congress and letter to the UN Security Council raise questions about the domestic and international legal basis for hostilities…
Muslim Uyghurs hold pictures of their relatives detained in China during a press conference in Istanbul, on May 10, 2022. The signs behind them say "Close the Chinese Concentration Camps" and "Rescue Our Families From Camps." Turkey's Uyghur community urged UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet to probe so-called "re-education camps" during a long-delayed visit to China that month, including to Xingjiang, where Western lawmakers have accused Beijing of genocide and crimes against humanity. Bachelet subsequently released her report on Aug. 31. (Photo by OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images)

A UN Report Implicates the Chinese Government in Crimes Against Humanity. What Comes Next?

Governments and UN bodies must act swiftly to hold the Chinese government accountable and protect those who are speaking out.
US Representative Liz Cheney speaks flanked by US Representative Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House committee investigating the Capitol riot.

Citizens Guide to January 6th Hearings: Comprehensive Account of the Evidentiary Record

A 28-page guide to the January 6th Committee’s findings to date and other publicly available information.
Haitians protesting high prices and shortages burn tires on a street of Port-au-Prince on July 13, 2022, as a motorcyclist rides by in front of shopfronts. Soaring prices, food and fuel shortages and rampant gang violence are accelerating a brutal downward spiral in the security situation in the Haitian capital Port au Prince, and threatening the humanitarian aid the increasingly desperate population relies on. (Photo by RICHARD PIERRIN/AFP via Getty Images)

As Haiti’s Henry Refuses Checks on Power, the US Should Aid Efforts to Build True Democracy

The Montana Accord would establish an inclusive transitional government that can rebuild damaged institutions and inspire Haitians’ trust.
People stand on a railing overlooking the Chinese Dongfeng missile. The missile looks like a large white rocket with a pointed tip.

Anti-Asian Prejudice Undermines U.S. National Security: Revisiting the U.S. Government’s Deportation of Qian Xuesen

The U.S. deported a scientist who then built missiles for China. His legacy shows the cost of racial discrimination.
Trump leaves the Manhattan Supreme Court where he serves on jury duty on August 17, 2015 in New York City. Reporters gather around him with cameras and microphones.

When, Where and For What Mar-a-Lago Crimes Should Garland Indict Trump?

The Justice Department would be on strongest legal ground to indict former President Trump for MAL crimes in Washington, D.C., not Florida.
A Chinese military helicopter flies past Pingtan island, one of mainland China's closest points from Taiwan, in Fujian province on August 4, 2022, ahead of massive military drills off Taiwan following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the self-ruled island. The military drills were the largest-ever Chinese military exercises encircling Taiwan, in a show of force straddling vital international shipping lanes. The photo also shows an unidentified vessel that appears to be a cargo ship between the helicopter and the island. (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images)

Strategic Ambiguity Isn’t Working to Deter China on Taiwan – It Will Invade Anyway. It’s Time to Commit

A game theorist with experience as a fighter pilot says the US should rally other countries to expand the commitment to the island’s defense.

A Crisis of Justice for Afghan Victims of War

Afghan citizens are denied justice at every level - from domestic impunity for Taliban crimes to international impunity for abuses by coalition forces. A clarion call from the…
The illustration depicts pages from the government's released version of the F.B.I. search warrant affidavit for former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. The pages contains black redactions that cover many portions of the affidavit. On the bottom right page, there is a signature by Judge Bruce E. Reinhart.

A Damage Assessment of Trump’s “Declassification Defense”

"It should be shocking to the American public and to jurors in a courtroom to hear such a line of defense to allegations of mishandling national defense information."
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