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

Legal and Policy Options for a U.S-South Korea Nuclear Submarine Program
Trump’s announcement 'approving' a nuclear-powered submarine plan with South Korea contradicts U.S. law requiring specific terms, agreements, and congressional review.

A SCOTUS Bench Memo for Trump v. Slaughter, the FTC Removal Case: Stare Decisis, Historical Practice, and Original Intent
Trump’s attempt to fire FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter without cause forces the Court to revisit Humphrey’s Executor and the future of independent agencies.

U.S. Boat Strike Campaign: Questions Congress Should Ask Executive Branch Officials
A list of questions that should be answered by U.S. government officials regarding the lethal campaign against suspected drug trafficking individuals, groups, and vessels.

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The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part IV
Co-hosted with RCLS, a panel of experts discuss the Trump administration's continued campaign of lethal strikes against suspected drug traffickers.

What Tariffs and the Argentina Bailout Can Tell Us About the Perils of Financial Statecraft
When the U.S. doesn't appreciate the role of finance in geopolitics, it risks mismanaging its responsibilities—and in the process creating economic and political instability.

The Just Security Podcast: Is there a Fox in the Henhouse? A Comparative Perspective of State Capture in the U.S.
Dani Schulkin is joined by Naomi Roht-Arriaza to discuss the warning signs of state capture and grand corruption, and what can be done to push back against it.

With New Transit Routes and Investment, the U.S. Aims to Counter China and Russia in the South Caucasus and Central Asia
How the U.S.-brokered Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal and the TRIPP trade route are reshaping Eurasia’s economic and security alliances, from the Caspian to Europe and beyond.

How to End the Shadow Budget and Protect Congress’s Power of the Purse
Unless Congress reasserts control over federal spending, the balance the framers designed could collapse into a self-financing presidency.

From Secret Law (2001-2024) to None at All (2025-present)
The Trump administration's lethal strikes are the apotheosis of the last quarter century's often always secret and often unreviewable executive branch legal reasoning.

State Dept’s Foreign Terrorist Designations Undermine Claims of “Antifa” Threat
Leading counter-extremism expert unpacks the administration's claimed designation of "Antifa Groups"

Is the U.S. Becoming a Captured State? A Comparative Perspective
Patterns of state capture in South Africa, El Salvador, Sri Lanka and Guatemala offer a cautionary guide for the United States.