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
![An email from Mark Paoletta on August 12, 2019 reading, “Alternative language. [Redacted] Mike Paoletta General Counsel Office of Management & Budget [Redacted] (office) [Redacted] (cell)”](https://i0.wp.com/www.justsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Screen-Shot-2020-02-10-at-12.03.15-PM.png?fit=1024%2C366&ssl=1)
Exclusive: New Unredacted Emails Show How Deeply OMB Misled Congress on Ukraine
New unredacted emails confirm that OMB, including the general counsel’s office, was fully in the loop about the Pentagon’s Ukraine funding worries, and took active steps to…
The CIA in the Age of Trump
Under Trump, the CIA workforce has experienced two directors unwilling to spend any of their political capital on encouraging the president to be more supportive of the Intelligence…
The Friday Night Massacre’s Broader Context: Trump’s Redesign for American Democracy
As we discussed with one of the authors of the book, How Democracies Die, the purges fit an ominous path followed by elected autocrats.
Never Mind “America First” — Trump’s Newly Expanded Immigration Ban Puts Americans Last
Nationality-based restrictions will separate families and are the wrong tool to promote public safety and national security.
Reading Between the Votes: 53 Senators Say Trump Guilty on the Facts
"Remember this: A bipartisan majority found that the factual allegations for Trump’s impeachment were proven."
Deciphering the FISC’s Order on the Carter Page FISA Application
What will the Justice Department do in response to what it's learned about the FBI’s flawed application to wiretap Carter Page?
Afghanistan Papers, the Miniseries, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bombshell
The Washington Post describes the story as uncovering a widespread effort by U.S. officials to “conceal the truth” about the war. A close reading shows that's not the case.
Pentagon Deployment of New, “More Usable” Nuclear Weapon Is a Grave Mistake
DoD now acknowledges it has deployed a new, sea-based nuclear warhead capability. But the administration’s stated rationale for the new weapon is deeply flawed, and the decision…
The “Virtual Wall”: Mexico, Part 1
The Trump administration has established its wall on the U.S.- Mexico border without putting one brick in place.
William Barr: A Failed Attorney General Unfit to Serve
William Barr has repeatedly abused his office as attorney general to provide personal and political protection for President Donald Trump at the expense of the integrity and credibility…
The Most Serious Obstruction of All: The Vote to Block Witnesses and the Public’s Right to Know
What makes the Republican leadership’s actions particularly galling is that they wrapped their rush to acquittal in the cloak of “letting American voters decide.” That was…
Republican Senators’ Short-Sighted Justifications for Acquitting Trump
Why Senator Ted Cruz's approach, rather than Lamar Alexander's, creates vulnerabilities for the White House and Republican Senators down the line.