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
The U.S. Bears International Responsibility for Forced Sterilization of Women in ICE Detention
A sterilization performed without the patient’s prior, full, free, and informed consent is a human rights violation.
All the President’s Lawsuits: Fraud, Defamation, and the Westfall Act
A sober assessment of the strengths of the president's invocation of the Westfall Act defense in the E. Jean Carroll case, and lack of such a defense in others.
Bill Barr’s Misguided View of US History
His grumble that coronavirus-related restrictions constitute the greatest civil liberties violation since slavery ignores a litany of government abuses.
Trump Can’t Lawfully Use Armed Forces to Sway the Election: Understanding the Legal Boundaries
A deep dive analysis of the constitutional and statutory limits on use of any armed force in connection with the 2020 election, civil unrest, and protests.
Reclaiming the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from the Pompeo Commission – Part 2
The panel's lengthy exegesis of the Declaration contains at least six glaring omissions that have real-world consequences.
Reclaiming Human Rights from the Pompeo Commission – Part 1
Its report displays an interpretative sneakiness, invoking the “founding era” and “founding principles” in a highly selective and under-inclusive way.
Justifying Absolute Political Control over DOJ, Barr Promotes Myth of Unaccountable Career Prosecutor
Attorney General William Barr's inaccurate claims denigrating the ability and appropriateness of federal prosecutors to make certain litigation determinations are merely a fig…
UN Experts to Trump Administration: Reproductive Rights are Human Rights
It is crucial to call out US efforts to undermine the UN human rights system and erase the well-established framework of rights protections.
Prepare for the Worst and Fight for the Best: A Citizen’s Guide to 2020 Electoral Interference
"Keeping in mind that one of the most effective ways to neutralize covert activity is to expose it, we hope that assessing Russia’s potential next moves will empower the electorate,…
Don’t Blame Privacy for Big Tech’s Monopoly on Information
As the prospect of antitrust charges against Facebook by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) looms larger, regulators should challenge the concentration of data within Big Tech…
At Least 15 Trump Officials Do Not Hold Their Positions Lawfully
As of September 2, there were at least 15 offices with acting officials even though the Federal Vacancies Reform Act time limit for those offices had expired.
Absentee Voting, the Military, and Our Democracy
States need significant additional federal funds to effectively implement voting by mail.