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 President’s Personal Assault on Bruce Ohr—and its dangerous effects
Who is Bruce Ohr, and what are the reasons President Trump would attack this almost three-decade civil servant?
Flaws in (Use of) Harris Poll on Brennan’s Security Clearance
In a late Tuesday night tweet, President Donald Trump seized on an online survey’s apparent shock finding that a majority of Americans think John Brennan’s security clearance…
Zero Tolerance for Border Families but Welcome to Myanmar Military Perpetrators
Amidst the multitude of ongoing Trump administration scandals, the United States government has failed to develop a comprehensive approach to bring an end to or accountability…
Condolence Payments for Civilian Casualties: Lessons for Applying the New NDAA
The new National Defense Authorization Act can help improve the way the U.S. responds to civilian casualties. FOIA requests and interviews with DoD officials, U.S. soldiers, judge…
New Russia Sanctions, Putin’s Economy, and the Shadow Over Planned U.S.-Russia Business Group
How US-Russia business ties hold up, even though a proposed Putin working group may not.
Americans’ Privacy at Stake as Second Circuit Hears Hasbajrami FISA Case
When Congress reauthorized Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) in January, it ratified the warrantless collection of potentially millions of Americans’…
The Case for Legislative Security Clearance Reform
One thing everyone can agree on is that President Donald Trump is a master at exposing the cracks in our political and legal landscape, whether he intends to or not. He refuses…
US Military Admits It Killed Dozens More Civilians Than Previously Acknowledged. Now What?
In June and July, the US-led Coalition of countries fighting the armed group calling itself the Islamic State admitted that reports of civilian casualties it had previously dismissed…
Why I Signed the Former CIA Officials’ Letter on Clearances: In Defense of Rule of Law
"The President of the United States has been soundly rebuked by a bipartisan consensus of the national security establishment. The spark was John Brennan, but the flame spread.…
The Trials of White House Counsel Don McGahn
Over the weekend, Michael Schmidt and Maggie Haberman published a remarkable story in the New York Times chronicling White House Counsel Donald F. McGahn’s substantial cooperation…
Brennan’s Due Process Case Against the White House
In an unprecedented move, the White House announced that President Donald Trump was revoking the security clearance of John Brennan, the CIA director in the Obama administration.…
Peter Strzok’s Firing Gives the Bureau a Chance to Reset
Former senior FBI official provides a counterweight to the emerging public narrative that this decision resulted from external political pressure on the Department.