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.

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4,605 Articles
An audio feed of Supreme Court oral arguments in Trump v. Mazars and Trump v. Deutsche Bank AG is heard via a teleconference due to COVID-19, as seen on a laptop in Washington, DC, May 12, 2020.

Supreme Court’s Trump v. Mazars Ruling Gave Attorney-Client Privilege a Boost in Congress

The decision gives executive branch officials and private parties greater ability to resist subpoenas on traditional common law privilege grounds.
The E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse, in Washington, DC, as seen from the sky.

What To Watch For In Michael Flynn’s Case On Tuesday

These four key issues may be on the judges' minds.
Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf speaks during a press conference on the actions taken by Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security agents in Portland.

DHS’s Portland Follies: Tracing the Official Public Narrative and Internal Communications

Jeffrey Michaels examines the rhetorical frameworks used by the Department of Homeland Security in describing protest events in Portland and beyond.
Police and private security personel monitor security cameras at the Lower Manhattan Security Initiative on April 23, 2013 in New York City.

In the Drive to Curb Police Abuses, Rein in Their Tech Too

Local groups in a national movement are pressing for oversight of how and when law enforcement agencies use technology to monitor citizens.
US special representative for Iran Brian Hook wears a face mask against Covid-19, bearing the US and Israeli flags, during a meeting with the Israeli prime minister in Jerusalem on June 30, 2020.

US Iran Envoy to Step Down—Ahead of Key U.S. Move on Nuclear Program

The move comes as the Trump administration is  expected to try to 'snapback' UN Iran sanctions, collapse nuclear deal
John Durham and William Barr

An Open Letter to Connecticut U.S. Attorney John Durham

"I urge you to comply with the Department’s longstanding policy."
People cross a street with cars. There are more street lights than seems needed for such a small street. There are numbers and waves of circles overlaid the image.

New Technologies, New Problems – Troubling Surveillance Trends in America

The rapid advent of powerful digital surveillance technologies raises questions about the U.S. ability to maintain a balance between security and citizens' rights. Several troubling…
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AFRICOM’s Improved Civilian Casualty Reporting System Still Leaves Gaps for Somalia

Only with more ways to submit reports and the proper followup can the U.S. military start to rebuild trust among communities harmed by its actions.
Exterior view of the International Criminal Court on July 20, 2018 in The Hague, Netherlands.

Exploring Some Limitations to the ICC’s Ability to Charge US Officials with Contempt

"One potential method by which to explore the possibility of disincentivizing measures by non-member states to frustrate the institutional independence of the ICC is to consider…
A 'Black Lives Matter' banner is displayed on the US embassy in Seoul on June 14, 2020.

Police Violence at Home Requires a Rethink of U.S. Foreign Policy and Assistance Abroad

When police brutalize and murder unarmed Black Americans, the effectiveness and legitimacy of the United States – including its ability to support justice abroad – crumbles.…
An official waves the Cambodian national flag over a helicopter landing marker for Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen to visit passengers on board the Westerdam cruise ship, in Sihanoukville on February 14, 2020, where the liner on February 13 docked after being refused entry at other Asian ports due to fears of the novel coronavirus.

Opportunism, COVID-19, and Cambodia’s State of Emergency Law

Editor’s Note: This piece is part of Just Security‘s Assessing Emergency Powers During #COVID-19 series, which aims to highlight and give voice to legal and civil society…
A Colombian Army bomb disposal expert gets ready to start the controlled detonation of Chilean-made CB-250K cluster bombs May 7, 2009 at the Marandua military base, Vichada department, Colombia.

Treaty Banning Cluster Munitions Turns 10, but Without the US

This November, Switzerland will convene the milestone Second Review Conference for the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Lausanne, but the U.S. is likely to be absent, as usual.
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