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
Barr Is Dismantling Charges Filed by Mueller
Another curious filing by the Department of Justice should not be lost amid news about COVID-19. In yet another reversal in a case initiated by Special Counsel Robert Mueller,…
Trump Administration Has Not Earned Privilege to Speak Anonymously — Especially During a National Crisis
The coronavirus crisis is exposing just how costly it can be when an administration knowingly misleads the public or refuses to provide a basic level of transparency.
Former Officials Challenge Pompeo’s Threats to the International Criminal Court
A statement by former U.S. Ambassadors for War Crimes and U.S. Chief Prosecutors.
The Legally Troubling Treatment of COVID-19 Meetings as Classified
I represented the government until late 2018, and I've got serious concerns, writes former Deputy Director of Appellate Staff of Department of Justice's Civil Division.
Lessons Ignored: John Bolton’s Bogus Defense of “Streamlining” Away Our Bio-Readiness
Former director of USAID’s Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance won't let John Bolton rewrite history. "What undermines public confidence ... is the administration’s own…
The Complex Policy Questions Raised by Nuclear Energy’s Role in the Future of Warfare
Military planners are eyeing a new generation of energy-dense nuclear reactors to power future high-energy weapons, despite potential policy and legal challenges to doing so.
The Coronavirus, Emergency Powers, and the Military: What You Need to Know
The global coronavirus crisis continues to unfold at lightning speed, disrupting travel, the economy, and everyday life. In response to the pandemic, President Donald Trump declared…
Explainer: National Emergency Declarations and COVID-19
A brief backgrounder on the Stafford Act and other emergency authorities President Trump has invoked to address coronavirus (COVID-19).
A Response to “End the FISA”: Why It’s a Good Law and Sound Policy
Since the public release of a redacted version of a Report on Four FISA Applications and Other Aspects of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane Investigation (the “Horowitz Report”),…
The Trump Administration’s Latest (Failed) Attempt to Justify the Soleimani Strike
Two months after killing Qassem Soleimani, the Trump administration still hasn’t gotten its story straight. On January 3rd, the day of the operation, and for the next 10 days,…
Pompeo’s “Rights Commission” is Worse Than Feared: Part I
Human rights groups have sued to shut it down. A study of its hearings shows its anti-rights leanings are even worse than feared.
Sen. Van Hollen Calls for Paoletta to Relinquish Role as OMB’s Top Ethics Official
Mark Paoletta, the general counsel at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), needs to recuse himself from ongoing inquiries into the Trump administration’s withholding of…