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.
3,364 Articles
Why the US Still Can’t Have It All: Biden’s National Security Strategy
The administration risks leaving the US overcommitted and overextended during a period of substantial shifts in the global balance of power.
Extremist Ideologies and the Roots of Mass Atrocities: Lessons for Ukraine
Mass atrocities consistently depend on justificatory narratives rooted in prevailing ideological worldviews and institutions.
The Politics of the ECCC: Lessons from Cambodia’s Unique and Troubled Accountability Effort
"For all its problems and shortfalls, the ECCC has managed to sentence a head of state for genocide. In a region where authoritarianism is on the rise, the significance of this…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…