Executive Branch
Just Security’s expert authors provide analysis of the U.S. executive branch related to national security, rights, and the rule of law. Analysis and informational resources focus on the executive branch’s powers and their limits, and the actions of the president, administrative agencies, and federal officials.
Highlights:
Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions
A public resource tracking all the legal challenges to the Trump administration's executive orders and actions.
Collection: Just Security’s Coverage of Trump Administration Executive Actions
Coverage of key developments, including in concise “What Just Happened” expert explainers, legal and policy analysis, and more. Check back frequently for updates.
The Just Security Podcast: Is there a Fox in the Henhouse? A Comparative Perspective of State Capture in the U.S.
Dani Schulkin is joined by Naomi Roht-Arriaza to discuss the warning signs of state capture and grand corruption, and what can be done to push back against it.
Collection: U.S. Lethal Strikes on Suspected Drug Traffickers
Collection of expert analysis on the legality of the U.S. strike on Venezuelan vessels in the Caribbean, the consequences of the strike, and related issues.
State Dept’s Foreign Terrorist Designations Undermine Claims of “Antifa” Threat
Leading counter-extremism expert unpacks the administration's claimed designation of "Antifa Groups"
Is the U.S. Becoming a Captured State? A Comparative Perspective
Patterns of state capture in South Africa, El Salvador, Sri Lanka and Guatemala offer a cautionary guide for the United States.
4,609 Articles
With New Transit Routes and Investment, the U.S. Aims to Counter China and Russia in the South Caucasus and Central Asia
How the U.S.-brokered Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal and the TRIPP trade route are reshaping Eurasia’s economic and security alliances, from the Caspian to Europe and beyond.
How to End the Shadow Budget and Protect Congress’s Power of the Purse
Unless Congress reasserts control over federal spending, the balance the framers designed could collapse into a self-financing presidency.
From Secret Law (2001-2024) to None at All (2025-present)
The Trump administration's lethal strikes are the apotheosis of the last quarter century's often always secret and often unreviewable executive branch legal reasoning.
Hypothetical Legal Review of Narcotrafficking Strikes
A mock “operational legal review” depicting what a staff judge advocate’s advice should have been prior to the first reported strike on an alleged drug trafficking vessel.
The International Law Obligation of States to Stop Intelligence Support for U.S. Boat Strikes
The only way States can avoid complicity in “arbitrary killings” under international human rights law is to refrain from sharing intelligence that, in part, enables them.
The Just Security Podcast: Examining the Trump Administration’s New Antifa Designations
Tom Joscelyn talks with former DOJ counsel Tom Brzozowski about new Antifa designations, their civil liberties impact, and changing limits on speech and association.
The Political Theater Behind Trump’s “Guns-a-Blazing” Nigeria Threat
Trump’s threat of military intervention in Nigeria may be intended more for domestic audiences and wouldn't address the drivers of the country's conflict.
The Anti-Corruption Tracker: Mapping the Erosion of Oversight and Accountability
This Anti-Corruption Tracker focuses on the erosion or dismantling of oversight and accountability systems within the United States Executive Branch.
Just Security’s Climate Archive
A catalog of articles analyzing the diplomatic, political, legal, security, and humanitarian consequences of the international climate crisis.
Defending ‘Sanctuary’ Principles During the Chicago Crackdown
Local governments must exercise their constitutional power to cut off cooperation with federal authorities that undermine residents' rights.
U.S. Saber Rattling and Venezuela: Lawful Show of Force or Unlawful Threat of Force?
Clearly, U.S. actions are threatening to Venezuela. But do they amount to an unlawful threat under international law, or are they merely a lawful show of force?
The Use of Tariffs to Raise Revenue is a Choice for Congress, not the President
Congress did not write IEEPA to allow a President to replace the income tax system with a patchwork of tariffs that they can impose, adjust, or suspend at will.