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
Criminal Prosecutions and Illegal Entry: A Deeper Dive
A look at how laws that criminalize entry and reentry into the U.S. actually work in practice and how they have been used to punish asylum seekers and migrants in violation of…
What Did We Learn About Mark Esper and How He Views the World?
From Iran to Afghanistan to collective self-defense, the big takeaways from the Senate confirmation hearing for Mark Esper, nominated by the president to be defense secretary.…
The National Security Delegation Conundrum
The two main opinions in Gundy v. the United States highlight the imbalanced stakes of current constitutional non-delegation doctrine. Those worried about unchecked presidential…
The Distorter-in-Chief is Hosting a Summit on Distortion on Social Media
By pushing Russian-planted disinformation and indulging America’s own conspiracy theorists, Trump is doing the opposite of what he claims to be attempting with the White House…
Now is the Time to Repeal the 2002 AUMF
Repealing the 2002 AUMF would take an unnecessary force authorization off the books, ensure it can’t be improperly invoked to drag the U.S. into unauthorized war, and reassert…
Congress Will Ignore Trump’s Foreign Affairs Budget Request. Others Will Not.
President Donald Trump’s proposal to make massive cuts to the Fiscal Year 2020 U.S. foreign affairs budget has not attracted much attention in Washington, reflecting confidence…
Policing, U.S. Style: With Little Idea of What Really Works
Until we better analyze police strategies, policies, and technologies, and learn, in a quantifiable way, what works and what doesn’t, we are not truly advancing public safety.…
Trump’s “Unalienable Rights” Commission Likely to Promote Anti-Rights Agenda
On Monday, we learned who would be serving on the State Department's new "Commission on Unalienable Rights." The track records of the chair and the other members raise even further…
One Key Instrument to Confront China and Climate Change
The United States has an opportunity to begin tackling both the security and economic threats posed by China and those posed by climate change, through one action: investing in…
Self-Defense in International Law: What Level of Evidence?
With the question of whether Iran's actions justify the use of force, the issue of evidence is once again at the forefront of international debate. So, how much evidence does a…
Unpacking the State Dept Acknowledgment that 2001 and 2002 AUMFs Don’t Authorize War Against Iran
An analysis of State Dept's major concession, whether the one stated exception is a loophole for military action, and what Congress should now do.
Acting or Not, the Play’s The Thing
Focusing on the number of acting officials may detract from an assessment of the real failures of the Trump administration’s policy process and oversight gaps.