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

10 Ways the U.S. Can Curb Interpol Abuses
Interpol serves a good purpose, and it has good rules. But not all members are as good as its rules. The U.S. can take steps, on its own or with others, to limit abuses and shield…

The Huawei Arrest: How It Likely Happened and What Comes Next
The arrest and possible extradition of an executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei raises important questions about foreign policy cases and Justice Department autonomy.

Declassify the Khashoggi Assessment
George W. Bush declassified inconvenient facts about Iran. The Trump administration should tell the public what CIA knows about Khashoggi.

George H.W. Bush’s Persian Gulf War: Victory, With Tragedy
Most tributes on the passing of George H.W. Bush from across the American political spectrum have used some variation of the word “honorable” or “decent” to describe the…

Full Accounting Needed of US-UAE Counterterrorism Partnership in Yemen
Congress needs to scrutinize the specific legal and moral compromises we have made by going all in with the UAE in exchange for progress against terrorist groups in Yemen.

Why the U.S. Needs a Homeland Security Strategy
The last time the U.S. government published a National Homeland Security Strategy, Osama bin Laden was still alive, Twitter was barely a year old, and only one Transformers movie…

U.S. Lethal Operations in Somalia Are On the Rise. But Are They Effective?
A deep-rooted ideology cannot be defeated with bombs dropped from the sky. What is needed is a real shift in strategy.

Remembering Bush 41: Two Failed Elections and Lessons on Leadership
I met George H.W. Bush in 1992, during a campaign swing of his through San Diego on my 12th birthday, just two months before his crushing loss to Bill Clinton. My mom’s boyfriend,…

How the “Arms Sales Oversight Act” Could Prevent American Arms from Contributing to the Next Overseas Crisis
The debate over U.S. complicity in Yemen’s humanitarian catastrophe is coming to a head in the Senate, with a series of votes on the Sanders-Lee-Murphy war powers resolution.…

Upcoming “Caravan” Hearing Will Continue International Scrutiny of U.S. Immigration Policy
There are two hours this week that could make an incremental but important difference in the course of U.S. immigration policy: when the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights…

Uptick in U.S. Air Strikes on Buildings in Afghanistan Raises Questions
U.S. military aircraft bombed over 60 buildings in Afghanistan in October alone, reviving longstanding concerns that these kinds of strikes could risk higher numbers of civilian…

How the Senate Should Move Forward on Resolution to Withdraw from Yemen War
The Senate Resolution on Saudi Arabia and US support for the Yemen war is a most welcome development, but it has flaws that need fixing to avoid unintended consequences -- and…