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
The U.S. Congress, a Voice for the Balkans In the 1990s Wars, Needs to Step Up Again
President Donald Trump and National Security Advisor John Bolton are engaged in a campaign to pressure a close American ally into ceding parts of its territory to a historic adversary.…
Body Counts Are Terrible Way for the Public to Assess US Counter-Terrorism Operations
Retired General Charlie Dunlap writes that partial transparency on civilian casualty reports may be worse than none.
‘Fixer’ Unbound: Public Confidence in Attorneys, Not Just the President, at Stake
Lawyers may be judged by the company they keep, but not by the clients they represent. Attorneys routinely advocate positions they disfavor on behalf of clients whose views and…
Reflecting on the Civilian Casualty Executive Order: What Was Lost and What Can Now Be Gained
What information did the public just lose with Trump's decision, and what can Congress do beyond just restoring it? Civilian casualties in wartime reporting and minimization.
The US-Philippines Defense Treaty and the Pompeo Doctrine on South China Sea
A major statement by Sec. Mike Pompeo on U.S. coming to the military defense of the Philippines against China. A legal expert explains the implications.
I Helped Write the Exec Order on Public Reporting of Lethal Operations. Here’s What Trump Has Undone.
"Multiple press accounts have cited some of the key problems with the rescission, the backlash from transparency advocates, and why, unsurprisingly, the Trump administration has…
Homeland Security’s Intelligence Overreach: Two Cases Illustrate Risks to Civil Society
The Department of Homeland Security is deploying its intelligence apparatus against activists, journalists, and human rights lawyers, with no guard rails against abuse in place.…
President Trump’s Cronyism and Excesses Should Prompt Security Clearance Reform
The Trump years threaten to become a boiling point for numerous simmering constitutional conflicts, but one of the most innocuous-looking might end up being one of the most important.…
Trump’s Revocation of Reporting on Lethal Strikes: All Eyes on Congress, Now
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order revoking a section of President Barack Obama’s Executive Order on civilian casualties that required annual reporting…
The Ripening: The House Judiciary Committee Investigation Will Bear Fruit
The House Judiciary Committee sent out document requests to 81 parties associated with President Donald Trump in its wide-ranging investigation into “allegations of corruption,…
The White House Counsel’s Flawed Response to Congress on Security Clearances
Intensifying congressional oversight activity prompted President Donald Trump to accuse Democrats of “presidential harassment.” He complained — falsely — that President…
BREAKING: United States Supports Germany’s International Arrest Warrant for Accused Syrian War Criminal
"On Tuesday, the United States government issued a statement supporting Germany’s request to Lebanon to extradite a high-ranking Syrian official accused of war crimes and crimes…