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
Toward a True Account of Collateral Damage in U.S. Military Operations
The Pentagon reports annually on how many civilians were killed in U.S. operations, but silent on damage to civilian homes, markets and other civilian infrastructure vital to human…
Five Senators Threaten to Derail Repeal of 2002 AUMF: Why Their Timing and Claims Are Wrong
A dissection of the 5 Senators' letter to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair.
Duque’s War in Colombia: High Stakes For UN, OAS, and Biden Administration as Human Rights Crisis Spins Out of Control
Amid widespread protests, continued US support for Duque will further erode implementation of the peace accords and spur deeper conflict.
The Méndez Principles: A Focus on the Exclusionary Rule
To eliminate interrogation abuses, consistently bar all information gained via torture or cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment.
A Deeper Dive: Facebook’s Response to Oversight Board on Trump May Be Less Than It Appears
A deeper dive shows the company is not ready to engage with the board's most far-reaching recommendations,
How the Biden Administration Should Take Torture-Derived Evidence Off the Table
In a decent legal system, the government does not ask courts to admit evidence derived from torture, nor does it press other arguments that disregard the absolute prohibition on…
The Méndez Principles: Sharpening the View on Interrogation and Utilitarianism
Philosopher-jurist Jeremy Bentham's “ticking bomb scenario,” often cited to justify torture, has spawned wild misconceptions.
Biden’s Support of 2002 AUMF Repeal: The Start of a Long Overdue Conversation
On Monday, President Joe Biden, like President Obama two terms before him, officially embraced repeal of the outdated 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force with a Statement…
State Secrets and the Torture of Abu Zubaydah
More than any case to have reached the Supreme Court, Abu Zubaydah’s case demonstrates the need to carefully scrutinize what information the Executive Branch can legitimately…
The Méndez Principles: Building Rapport and Trust in Interrogations to Elicit Reliable Information
The demonstrated effectiveness of evidence-based methods strengthens the argument against torture and ill-treatment.
A Pandemic Isn’t the Only Kind of “Catastrophic Risk.” It’s Time to Prepare More Seriously for the Next.
If any good is to come of this crisis, it must be an increased awareness of America’s vulnerability -- and what it takes to prepare.
Sanctions Law Needs Reform, But How?
Determining how the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) can be improved while preserving its value as a flexible instrument of foreign policy is daunting.