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 Supreme Court: the Last Defense Against Trump’s Military Police State
The Supreme Court must not shirk its obligation to ensure that presidents cannot conscript the military in an effort to undermine democracy.
The Caribbean Strikes and the Collapse of Legal Oversight in U.S. Military Operations
Congress and the public must do more to address the dangerous pressures imposed on servicemembers and defend the guardrails that protect both U.S. forces and democracy.
The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part III
Tess Bridgeman is joined by Rebecca Ingber and Brian Finucane to assess the latest strikes, the brief detention of two survivors, where the campaign may be headed, and what…
Attacking Drug Cartels in the Territory of Another State
The U.S. operations conducted to date against suspected members of drug cartels stretch the applicable international law rules and their interpretation beyond recognition.
4,591 Articles
Export Controls and U.S. Trade Policy: Making Sense of the New Terrain
The Trump administration's use of export controls as leverage in trade diplomacy creates risks for key U.S. national security interests.
When Deference is No Longer Due
Reasons for historical deference to the executive branch's judgement in matters of national security and foreign affairs have been severely undermined.
Weaponizing the Espionage Act: What It Means for Whistleblowers, Reporters, and Democracy
How the Trump administration could weaponize the Espionage Act and its chilling effect to control the press and justify suppression.
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.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s War with the Rules of Engagement
Hegseth’s attack on the ROE demonstrates a dangerously limited – and legally incorrect – view about these rules and what they are for.
Some Questions About Trump’s Order Pledging to Defend Qatar’s Security
Trump's Executive Order on Qatar raises a number of important legal and policy questions that merit careful consideration by Congress and the public.
The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part II — What We Know about U.S. Vessel Strikes One Month In
Tess Bridgeman and Rachel Goldbrenner are joined by Rebecca Ingber and Brian Finucane to analyze the facts, the law, and implications of U.S. killings in the Caribbean.
The Crisis in Uniform: The Danger of Presidential Immunity for the U.S. Military
Military personnel are increasingly alert to the prospect that they may be asked to prioritize loyalty to an individual over their legal rights and responsibilities.
The Trump Administration’s Use of State Power Against Media: Keeping Track of the Big Picture
Tracking the use of State power requires systematically identifying linkages between individual developments and broader trends. This graphic offers one method.
What the Senate Judiciary Committee Should Ask A.G. Bondi on Drug Cartel Strikes
Annotated questions Congress should be asking about U.S. military strikes on suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean.
Legal Flaws in the Trump Administration’s Notice to Congress on “Armed Conflict” with Drug Cartels
The Trump administration’s “armed conflict” justification, however, is groundless.
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.