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
Reckoning with State-Sanctioned Racial Violence: Lessons from the Tulsa Race Massacre
Top legal scholar outlines five "features of what a capacious commitment to democratic repair in the wake of state violence might mean" for Tulsa.
Asylum and the Three Little Words that Can Spell Life or Death
The U.S. Board of Immigration Appeals defines “particular social group” in a way that practically ensures the denial of asylum claims, especially for Central Americans. The…
What Do Future U.S. Generals Think About Dissent, Disobedience, and Resignation?
Survey research suggests respect for civilian-control appears to be the exception, not the norm, among a significant portion of the senior military officers who participated.
Torture Evidence and the Guantanamo Military Commissions
Burying evidence of torture, while surreptitiously admitting the fruits of torture is not what a decent legal system does. Bringing to justice those accused of atrocious crimes…
Clearing the Fog of War Surrounding Battlefield Use of Tear Gas
The United States takes the (minority) view that international law does not prohibit the defensive use of tear gas in war - and that this could protect civilians - but the risks…
The Next Best Option if a January 6 Commission Fails
"On balance, a House select committee is not the optimal vehicle to investigate the January 6 insurrection.... but it might be the best one available." How this path could be made…
A Laser Focus on Women’s Rights Is Key to Sustainable Afghan Peace
Support Afghan women in peace talks, and analyze every plank of a proposed agreement for its impact on women and men, girls and boys.
Biden Must Honor Pledge to Immigrant Troops: Rescind Trump Policy Blocking Path to Citizenship
Over 100 days into his administration, President Joe Biden has yet to act on a Trump administration policy denying thousands of immigrants serving in the U.S. military the path…
On Christchurch Call Anniversary, a Step Closer to Eradicating Terrorism Online?
Governments, including now the US, and companies take stock on the second anniversary of the New Zealand mosque shootings.
The US Should Respect the ICC’s Founding Mandate
An American Society of International Law task force recommends ways to improve the Court, but some of the advice seems to undermine the goal.
Want the Summit for Democracy to Develop Solutions? Include Local Governments
From mayors to governors, they are the face of representative democracy to most citizens, and are responsible for addressing needs with effective policy.
Folly at the Supreme Court: Choosing Between Competing Originalist Claims
Former White House Counsel Neil Eggleston says that a dispute about removal power illustrates the fool's errand of originalism: history is messy, complex, and disputed, offering…