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
What Durham Is Investigating and Why It Poses a Danger to US Intelligence Analysis
A deep dive into Bill Barr and U.S. Attorney John Durham’s investigation and the potential costs entailed.
Four Topics the Judiciary Committee Must Focus on in Barr Hearing
On July 28, U.S. Attorney General William Barr is expected to testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee. If he follows through on his agreement to appear before Congress…
Cyberattack Attribution and International Law
Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment accusing two men linked to China’s Ministry of State Security of a decade-long campaign of hacking dissidents,…
The President’s Private Army
How did we get here? Goitein discusses legal and political obstacles that faced President Trump's resort to other federal forces, why DHS is now his weapon of choice, what it may…
The Short Fuse: Autocrats, Hate Speech and Political Violence
“When the looting starts, the shooting starts.” It took three and a half years into his presidency, but Twitter finally flagged one of President Donald Trump’s tweets as…
Why 27 Distinguished DC Lawyers Filed a Complaint with Bar Association Against Attorney General Barr
Non-partisan group files an ethics complaint with the DC Bar Association against Attorney General William Barr. The former Attorney General of Massachusetts describes the initiative…
Bill Barr’s Playbook: His False Claims About Prior Military Force on U.S. Soil
The Insurrection Act, Operation Hawkeye and what really happened
Questions the Senate Should Ask State Legal Adviser Nominee CJ Mahoney
The State Department Legal Adviser is the most senior U.S. lawyer responsible for ensuring the United States upholds its international legal obligations, which is now, more than…
Trump Administration’s Women, Peace and Security Plans: Blueprint for Action or Empty Promises?
The president and his officials take many actions diametrically opposed to these plans. But Congress and civil society can keep the pressure on.
Portland’s Pretext: Barr’s Long History Manipulating Law to Put Federal Forces on U.S. Streets
In a 2001 interview, Bill Barr boasted that he came up with the idea in 1989.
What Comes Next: The Aftermath of European Court’s Blow to Transatlantic Data Transfers
On Thursday, the European Court of Justice (CJEU) dealt a blow to the free flow of data across borders in the name of protecting privacy -- with global implications.
The Life and Adventures of Ron Johnson: His Journey Through “Multiple Untruths” to the Fable of Obamagate
The Lugar Center is a fairly recent addition of the sort of traditional institute in Washington that prevailed before Donald Trump. Its mission is to advance an internationalist…