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.
4,605 Articles
Good Governance Paper No. 23: Rebuild and Renew the Diplomatic Corps
Last in a series of top experts exploring proposals to restore and promote nonpartisan principles of good government, public integrity, and rule of law.
Politicizing the Civil Service: How a New Executive Order Destabilizes the U.S. Government
President Donald Trump unveiled a stunning executive order that threatens to undermine one of the most important aspects of American government: the professional civil service.…
Good Governance Paper No. 21: Obedience to Orders, Lawful Orders, and the Military’s Constitutional Compact
Latest in a series of top experts exploring proposals to restore and promote nonpartisan principles of good government, public integrity, and the rule of law.
Loyalty Above All: The “Shallow State” of the Trump Administration
A compilation of executive branch positions deprived of competence and expertise, and filled instead with political loyalists.
Good Governance Paper No. 20: Repairing and Strengthening Norms of Nuclear Restraint
Latest in a series of top experts exploring proposals to restore and promote nonpartisan principles of good government, public integrity, and the rule of law.
Easing Election-Related Tensions: Lessons for the US from Elections Abroad
A common trigger of election-related unrest is related to the counting period. Any unexpected pause in tallying or release of results carries risks.
Good Governance Paper No. 19: The Criminal Legal System — Toward a Paradigm Shift
Latest in series of top experts exploring proposals to restore and promote nonpartisan principles of good government, public integrity, and the rule of law.
Good Governance Paper No. 18: Reforming Emergency Powers
Latest in series of top experts exploring proposals to restore and promote nonpartisan principles of good government, public integrity, and rule of law.
Good Governance Paper No. 17: How to Use the Bureaucracy to Govern Well
[Editors’ note: This essay is one in a series—the Good Governance Papers—organized by Just Security. In these essays, leading experts explore actionable legislative and…
Plan to Pull U.S. Troops from Somalia is Cold Comfort Amid Civilian Toll of Air War
AFRICOM insists its aim is to ‘degrade’ al-Shabaab. But the US military campaign is taking a heavy toll on civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Militarized Counterterrorism in Africa: Moving Beyond a Failed Approach
Leading with a heavy military response, particularly when government partners are repressive, ultimately makes things worse. The need for a new approach is clear. It should focus…
Good Governance Paper No. 15: Enforcing the Emoluments Clauses
Fourteenth essay in a series of top experts exploring proposals to restore and promote nonpartisan principles of good government, public integrity, and the rule of law.