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.
4,711 Articles
Video of Panel on the “Crisis at the Justice Department”
Bob Bauer, Lisa Monaco, and Andrew Weissmann, with Ryan Goodman (moderator).
Senators Call for Prosecution of Gambian Paramilitary Fighter in US Custody
Rare opportunity to criminally prosecute a person implicated in extremely grave human rights abuses in a U.S. court.
When Professionalism Mattered: Dissent Against U.S. Policy on Landmines
President Trump's retaliation against principled dissenters and his jettisoning of longstanding U.S. policy on landmines converge in a look back to see how another administration…
Public Document Clearinghouse: Ukraine Impeachment Trial
Just Security has compiled and curated all publicly available documents in Congress’s impeachment inquiry concerning President Donald Trump in connection with Ukraine. This collection…
The Soul of the Justice Department: Who Must Stand Up For It Now
A powerful essay by Lisa Monaco, who served in the Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama Justice Departments before serving as Assistant to the President for Homeland Security.
White House ‘1264 Notice’ and Novel Legal Claims for Military Action Against Iran
"The administration’s positions amount to a fundamental revision of existing legal foundations for military action against Iran that can be undertaken by this and future presidents."
Military Justice Reform, the 2020 Pledge, and the President’s Power
A pledge by presidential candidates is necessary but more could be done. The next Congress should prioritize the independent military prosecutor measure. Failing that, a president…
Why the US Military Needs to Rethink How It Investigates Civilian Harm
A new report analyzed a total of 228 investigations into reported civilian harm in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria between 2002 and 2015.
As ISIS Regroups, No Time to Cut U.S., U.N. Assistance to Iraq
Iraq is teetering, and the U.S. presence is uncertain. All the more reason to retain the kinds of U.N. and other civilian programs that prevent backsliding.
Building Walls and Deporting People to “Safe” Countries Is Not Deterrence, It’s Defense
Labeling highly militarized, defense-based policies as forms of migration “deterrence” masks their true nature.
![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…