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.
4,604 Articles
Mexico’s Invisible Human Rights Crisis Intensifies
Standard US policy tropes drown out spiraling systemic abuses, including recent killings of activists and paramilitary violence.
What the US Government Brief Should Have Said in Al-Hela: On Guantanamo and Due Process
"Had the Justice Department wanted to recognize that the due process clause applies at Guantanamo, the brief would have essentially written itself."
An Appeal to President Biden: Change Course on Haiti Now
The brazen assassination of serving President Moïse reinforces the need for the US to back Haitians in crafting their own future.
Taiwan vs. Tyranny: The US Must Redouble Its Commitment to Secure this Shining Hill of Democracy in East Asia
US backing for Taiwan can stymie China’s relentless creep in East Asia, and preserve a democratic beacon in the global march of illiberalism.
War Powers Guard Rails Can Keep the U.S. From Sliding into a New Middle East War
"Because so much power has accreted in the executive branch when it comes to matters of war and peace, the risk of stumbling into a new Middle East War for insufficiently examined…
Reforming the FISA Process: Tweak or Overhaul?
Earlier this month, Adam Klein, the outgoing chair of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, took the unusual step of issuing a unilateral “Chairman’s White…
New Just Security Series: Reflections on Afghanistan on the Eve of Withdrawal
A series of essays that considers the legacy of America’s longest war as well as what the future holds for Afghanistan.
Assessing Parler’s Letter Documenting Warnings It Gave FBI of Jan. 6 Attack
One of the significant moments in the recent House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on the Jan. 6 insurrection was the revelation that the social media platform Parler had…
Parsing an Immunity Decision at the Heart of U.S.-Egypt Relations
A suit between a US citizen and the former PM of Egypt raises sticky questions of diplomatic immunity - and tees up a potential constitutional clash between the executive and judiciary.…
The Méndez Principles: The Case for US Legislation on Law Enforcement Interviews
Americans are increasingly interested not only in reallocating police resources, but also making policing more effective and more ethical.
The Méndez Principles: Beware Crossing the Line to Psychological Torture
As the UN marks the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, a reminder of the many forms of such abuse that are prohibited.
Putting AUMF Repeal Into Context
A detailed analysis of secret wars and why reforming the 2001 AUMF is hard but necessary.