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
Military Personnel and the Putsch at the U.S. Capitol
If active duty, reserve, retired, or former military personnel participated in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, how should they be held accountable? Courts martial may be available for…
December Brought Harbingers of the Regulation Social Media Companies Could Soon Face
Are the winds changing for data-intensive companies, and what is the prevailing mood of technology regulators on both sides of the Atlantic heading into 2021?
On Guantanamo’s 19th Anniversary, A Renewed Call to Close It
Nineteen years ago today, the administration of President George W. Bush sent the first detainees to the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center for the purpose of detaining them beyond…
Incitement Timeline: Year of Trump’s Actions Leading to the Attack on the Capitol
A highly detailed chronology of the year leading up to the attack on the Capitol.
Tragedy at the Capitol: Four Questions that Demand Answers
How can the U.S. Capitol, surrounded by one of the largest concentrations of law enforcement and national security personnel in the world, be so quickly overrun?
The Attack on the Capitol: Why It’s Not a Surprise
The Trump-inspired mob who launched an unprecedented siege of the Capitol is a permanent stain on American democracy. What’s worse, it was not unexpected.
Why D.C.’s Mayor Should Have Authority Over the D.C. National Guard
Congress should give the mayor of D.C. control over the D.C. National Guard, absent federalization, to prevent the president both from misusing the DCNG as his own personal army…
The Constitution’s Option for Impeachment After a President Leaves Office
Top impeachment law scholar discusses the options for the 117th Congress.
The Incapacitation of a President and the Twenty-Fifth Amendment: A Reader’s Guide
An authoritative analysis of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment on the incapacitation of a president, and how it was intended to function.
Father-Son Separation at US Border Illustrates Lasting Harm That Demands Redress
The abuses they faced under the Trump administration's immigration policy echo those revealed in a new Human Rights Watch investigation.
ICC Associates Win Temporary Reprieve from Draconian US Sanctions
A judge granted a preliminary injunction in a case challenging the Trump administration’s sanctions against court personnel and others.
Pentagon Moves Undermine Counterterrorism Strategy
Instead of acquiescing to the whims of a lame-duck president, Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller should insist upon maintaining sufficient capability to prevent the resurgence…