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
We Can’t “Look Forward” on the Trump Administration’s Abuses
When President-elect Joe Biden takes office in January, he will confront a national economic crisis and a still out-of-control pandemic. He will also face questions about how to…
The Failed Transparency Regime for Executive Agreements
This article is cross-posted at Lawfare. In late October, the United States and Sudan reportedly signed a bilateral agreement “to resolve claims arising from the 1998…
Protecting Ethiopian Refugees — and Averting the Next Crisis
Refugee crises often seem to emerge out of nowhere. All of a sudden, people are streaming across borders, making the excruciating choice that is no choice at all: to flee home…
Revitalizing US Democracy Starts with Repairing the Right to Peaceful Assembly
Five actions the Biden administration can take to better protect the right to peaceful assembly.
Biden’s Global Priority No. 1: Turn the Authoritarian Tide
Any other challenge will be exponentially harder to address as long as authoritarian leaders and the militarized systems that support them have free rein.
COVID-19 and International Law Series: WHO’s Pandemic Response and the International Health Regulations
[Editor’s Note: This article is part of a Just Security series, COVID and International Law. All articles in the series can be found here.] International law has long regulated…
Addressing Our Whole-of-Government Deficit in National Security
From Russ Travers who retired in July 2020 after a 42-year career in the Intelligence Community, having served in senior positions across multiple intelligence organizations --…
Supreme Court Preview: Collins v. Mnuchin and the Expanding ‘Unitary Executive’ Theory
The consequences for the federal government of an expanded unitary executive theory would be significant: high turnover, low competence, and less expertise, all of which serve…
A Commander’s Duty to Punish War Crimes: Past U.S. Recognition
A comprehensive, sweeping analysis of "the United States’ own long-standing views that a commander’s failure to punish war crimes by his subordinates may itself amount to war…
How to Revitalize the Intelligence Community: A Long, But Essential To-Do List
The president-elect and his DNI should act promptly and assertively to reverse Trump’s mistreatment, revitalize Community morale, and, through aggressive but prudent investment…
Global Kleptocracy as an American Problem
Putting an end to the spread of corruption from kleptocratic autocracies into the United States will be one of the most significant challenges for the incoming administration.
Climate Change as a National Security and Foreign Policy Priority: Opportunities and Challenges for the Next Administration
Policy recommendations to enhance the Biden-Harris administration’s ability to play a constructive role in addressing climate change as part of the United States’ defense,…