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

Law Day and the Need for Virtue in Government Lawyering
"This Law Day demands that we also pay attention to a very different set of actions by lawyers within the Trump period."

The EU Should Quarantine its Autocrats
The Hungarian and Polish governments’ exploitation of the COVID-19 pandemic for their own ends poses a significant challenge for the EU with consequences that will be present…

Keeping an Eye on the Hand of Justice: Bill Barr and Targeting Joe Biden
Former Acting Attorney General Stuart Gerson (served with Bill Barr in the George HW Bush administration) and Kristy Parker (15-year DOJ career) warn of the weaponization of the…

Top Experts Analyze Inspector General Report Finding Problems in FBI Surveillance
Expert takes on the Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz's recent report on FBI procedures for obtaining secret warrants under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance…

Federal vs. State Powers in Rush to Reopen Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
As governors start reopening their states, what could the White House and federal government do to stop it if the feds wanted to?

Trump Faces Off With the WHO: Sorting Through the Allegations
The president’s halt on payments to the WHO over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic capped weeks of criticism and contradictions.

Why We Filed a FOIA Request on How Many US Troops Are in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria
Last night, Just Security filed FOIA requests with the Defense Department seeking U.S. troop numbers in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.

Hungary Should Not Become Patient Zero
Hungarians now face a double threat: Alongside the COVID-19 pandemic, we also have to step up the fight against illiberal contagion.

Assessing Emergency Powers During #COVID-19
Just Security plans to highlight and give voice to legal and civil society voices from across the globe, assessing the specific legal consequences of declared and de facto emergencies.

A District Court Endorses a Broken Prepublication Review System
Last week, a district court in Maryland dismissed a constitutional challenge to the system of prior restraints that prohibits millions of former intelligence agency employees from…

Great Expectations: AFRICOM’s New Quarterly Report on Civilian Casualties
A look at circumstances under which civilian casualties may occur in Somalia, why the US military may be under-reporting the numbers, and what to do about it.

What Counts As Sufficient Transparency on Civilian Casualties in Somalia
Former National Security Council and Defense Department official writes about upcoming civilian casualties report from AFRICOM, and what will still be missing.