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.
4,757 Articles
What To Do About Lt. General (retired) Flynn: Military Justice and Civil-Military Relations Considerations
Flynn's recent conduct has raised new questions about retiree court-martial jurisdiction. Yevgeny Vindman and Dan Maurer make the legal and policy argument for a court-martial.…
The Méndez Principles: Emergence and Global Expansion of Non-Coercive Interviewing
Three national jurisdictions that have introduced legal and effective techniques demonstrate that change is possible and is already underway.
Getting Real About General Flynn
At a rally in Dallas on May 30, 2021, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Michael T. Flynn put his foot in his mouth. Again. This time his offense was a comment in response to…
A Legacy of Unrecognized Harm: DoD’s 2020 Civilian Casualties Report
The Pentagon report appears to defy the congressional requirement to report on civilian casualties “that were confirmed, or reasonably suspected, to have resulted in civilian…
Why Supporters of Democracy and Security Both Need to Care about Security Sector Governance
Too often, the United States ends up feeding well-intentioned assistance and training into an impervious, corrupt system that eats the aid and spits out further instability.
The Méndez Principles: Science Shows Interrogation is Too Serious for Amateurs
Probing memory requires delicacy and care, because the method can change what the subject recalls -- and they wouldn't even be aware of it.
Tracking Transnational Repression: Next Steps for the State Department’s Human Rights Reports
The State Department's newest reporting on 'transnational repression' has much to offer, but also gaps, including on Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Thailand, and more.
The Méndez Principles: A New Standard for Effective Interviewing by Police and Others, While Respecting Human Rights
Former UN Rapporteur on Torture says interrogations that reject coercive and abusive methods and build rapport are necessary and achievable.
The Méndez Principles: Leadership to Transform Interrogation via Science, Law, and Ethics
New guidance points the way to scientifically sound, lawful, human rights-compliant, and effective practices.
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.