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
The President’s Inversion of the Government’s Ethical Conduct Standards, Right Before Americans’ Eyes
The Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch (Standards of Conduct) on this topic could not be clearer, and the president's statements contradicting those…
To Fix the COVID-19 Testing Gap, Take a Lesson from GM (or the Pentagon)
The chaotic state of the current COVID testing marketplace is a direct impediment to outbreak control and economic recovery. The federal government should engage in the testing…
COVID-19 and the Shrinking Civic Space in Nigeria
With the same rapidity as its spread, COVID-19 seems to be taking over as the major driver of shrinking civic space in many parts of the world, displacing the popular buzzwords:…
An Inquiry into DOJ’s Decision to Drop the Flynn Case Can’t Be Left to Judge Sullivan Alone
More than just wrong, interim U.S. Attorney Timothy Shea's filing of the motion also may have violated legal and DOJ ethics rules.
Recently Released OLC Opinions From 1974 Shed Light on Current Legal Debates
Earlier this month, my colleagues and I at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University secured the release of 96 previously withheld opinions authored by the Justice…
Why the Flynn Dismissal Deserves a Hard Look by the Court
The judge presiding over the Michael Flynn case is right to take a hard look at the Department of Justice’s eleventh-hour motion to dismiss the false statements charge to which…
Anticipating Phase Two of the Trumped Up “Obamagate”
Grappling with the potential criminal liability of leakers of the Flynn phone call, and how Trump and Barr will exploit it in their ongoing campaign of public deception.
The Trump Administration’s Indefensible Legal Defense of Its Asylum Ban
"The Trump administration has finally made public its legal justification for its decision to halt asylum processing during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is embarrassingly bad.…
Oversight and “Undermining”: Reflections on the Supreme Court Oral Arguments About Subpoenas for Trump’s Financial Information
A couple aspects of the congressional subpoena cases—Trump v. Mazars and Trump v. Deutsche Bank—haven’t yet received attention they warrant.
The Fatal Flaw in DOD’s Latest Civilian Casualties Report
Lawmakers and even the Trump administration have increasingly expressed concern about the United States waging an “endless war,” and among those concerns is the impact on civilians…
Revisiting Export Controls in the COVID Era
A summary of U.S. Treasury’s new guidance for each country subject to U.S. sanctions.
What the Pandemic Tells Us About the State of U.S. Cybersecurity
The Cyberspace Solarium Commission sees lessons on risk assessment, resilience, public-private collaboration, and more.