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
Brett Kavanaugh and the Risk of a Return to Torture
Brett Kavanaugh, holds a stark view of the role of international law, which could threaten the protection of fundamental human rights, including the right not to be tortured.
Trump Could Learn from Gore on How to Handle an Election Interference Scandal
Replace Russia with China, the 2016 election with 1996, and Trump with Gore, and there are disturbing parallels. The stark difference is in how the White House handled the case.
Just Following Orders: Overdue Oversight and Unanswered Questions on Family Separations
Nearly three months after the Trump administration’s family separation policy began and over one month after a public outcry led to its end, Congress finally held its first hearing…
Grace v. Sessions– Suing to Stop Shutting Down Asylum Claims at the Border
In the D.C. federal district court today, the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, together with the American Civil Liberties Union, filed suit to stop the U.S. government from…
Nuclear Arms Control After Helsinki: If Trump and Putin Want a Deal on Arms Control, Here’s Where to Start
Amid the uncertainty surrounding the discussion between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in their two-hour summit meeting without staff in Helsinki,…
Al-Qaeda and ISIS are on Their Heels in Yemen, But Will Return Unless We Help Build a Lasting Peace
Al-Qaeda and ISIS are vulnerable in Yemen in a way they’ve never been before, but the war there has been too brutal and too sectarian for a tidy aftermath. Too many have been…
U.S. Sanctions against Turkey Undercut a Key Human Rights Tool
For anyone interested in maintaining the legitimacy -- and thus the effectiveness -- of the Global Magnitsky sanctions regime, last week's sanctions against two Turkish officials…
Is Trump Providing the Push the EU Needs to Boost Its Own Defense?
While the European Union has steadily built a common defense policy and capability, Trump’s recent antics might have provided the necessary kick to accelerate and expand those…
Precision and Civilian Casualties: Policymakers Believe Drones Can Be Precise. That May Not Be Enough.
What do policymakers’ own views of drones – particularly as they relate to civilian casualties – reflect, and how do those views affect policymaking?
It’s Time for Congress to Take Foreign Threats to Our Elections Seriously
When it comes to the security of our elections, we have a battle on two fronts. On the first, Russia has attacked our election infrastructure and our intelligence community believes…
Just Security Podcast: ACLU’s David Cole on Defending our Democratic Traditions
Roughly a year ago, I sat down with ACLU Legal Director and Just Security editorial board member David Cole to pick his brain about what our various independent government branches…
Security Clearance Removals and Presidential Politicization of Intelligence
"The President has set a chilling precedent in threatening them with prejudicial action that could negatively impact on the confidence of intelligence officers in performing their…