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.
What Just Happened: The Trump Administration’s Dismissal of Voting Rights Lawsuits
Retreat from voting rights enforcement and efforts to tighten access to the ballot mark a rupture with the Civil Rights Division’s traditional role.
The Just Security Podcast: What’s Next for U.S. Diplomacy and Foreign Assistance?
Expert panel considers the proposed restructuring of the State Department and unpacks the implications for U.S. foreign policy, what's at stake, and what lies ahead.
How Trump’s Law Firm Settlements Circumvent Congress and Violate Federal Spending Laws
The Trump administration has operated outside the appropriations process and congressional oversight through its law firm settlements.
Just Security’s Climate Archive
A catalog of articles analyzing the diplomatic, political, legal, security, and humanitarian consequences of the international climate crisis.
4,499 Articles
The Law Already Supports AI in Government — RAG Shows the Way
Retrieval-Augmented Generation offers federal agencies a way to build AI systems today within legal frameworks that already exist.
When the Executive Defies the Judiciary: How Federal Courts Can Enforce Their Orders Without the Marshals
Federal courts possess a number of tools to ensure the U.S. government is held responsible for failing to enforce or execute court orders.
Is the U.S. Abandoning the Fight Against Foreign Information Operations?
The Trump administration's policy shift paves the way for foreign propaganda to flourish, leaving Europe to step into the breach.
Ambiguity Is Not Authorization: The Neutrality Treaty Does Not Justify U.S. Military Intervention in Panama
U.S. Military intervention in Panama would violate fundamental international norms and find no justification in the Neutrality Treaty.
The Just Security Podcast: Discussion of Stephen Miller Remarks on Suspension of Habeas Corpus & Path Ahead
An assessment of Stephen Miller's recent remarks on the suspension of habeas corpus and the path ahead for courts and members of Congress.
A Pyrrhic Victory: Initial Supreme Court Gain for Trump on Alien Enemies Act May End in Administration’s Loss
An emerging consensus among federal judges on the AEA's application increases the odds for the Trump administration's loss at the Supreme Court.
In Congress, a Welcome, But Flawed, Step to Stop Trump’s Transfers to Torture
The El Salvador 502B resolution risks falsely drawing distinctions about the applicability of human rights based on immigration status.
Hegseth Promises to Save the Pentagon Billions of Dollars. Here’s What Actually Could.
If the Trump administration wants to end wasteful Pentagon spending, it should reform the many faltering weapons programs and review its contractor ecosystem.
How Congress Can Stop the Looming Crypto Disaster
Legislative and administrative accommodation of the crypto industry pose fundamental challenges to control over money and credit.
The Dirty Deal with El Salvador
What’s known about the agreement between the United States and El Salvador when it comes to CECOT prison, and why sworn testimony may be needed to fill in the gaps.
The U.S.-Ukraine Agreement: Legality and Transparency
The recently announced mineral deal is likely a lawful “sole executive agreement” that the president need not submit to Congress, but subsequent implementing agreements are…
The Just Security Podcast: Keeping Track of the Big Picture–Challenges to Press Freedom and Beyond
A discussion with Rebecca Hamilton about the use of State power and how to identify linkages between individual developments and broader trends in press freedom and beyond.