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
The Supreme Court Should Rethink Deference to the Executive in the Travel Ban Case
Former White House Counsel Neil Eggleston, and Amanda Elbogen write that the Justices should not provide the customary deference to the Executive Branch when it comes to the Travel…
The Extent and Validity of Yemen’s Consent to the US’s Use of Force
Above: Yemen President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi at UN headquarters on September 21, 2017. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) This is piece is the latest article in our forum…
Gina Haspel Threatens Intelligence Cooperation: Yet Another Reason for Senators to Vote Her Down As CIA Director
Gina Haspel’s morally indefensible role in the CIA’s torture program makes her unqualified to be the new CIA director. What’s worse, if confirmed as CIA director, she would…
Just Security Podcast: Oona Hathaway on the Bad Legal Arguments for Bombing Syria
Above: A U.S. Air Force B-1B bomber after refueling from a KC-10 Extender following its participation in strikes against chemical weapons targets in Syria, April 14, 2018. Image…
Corker’s Proposal Hands Trump A Dangerous, Open-Ended War Authorization
While the media is focused on the Trump administration’s strikes against Syria, there’s another effort to entrench and expand the U.S. global war posture that’s getting less…
How Jihadist Groups See Western Aggression Toward Iran
President Donald Trump’s appointment of former UN ambassador John Bolton to national security adviser has provoked criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. The concern…
Comey’s Book and Prepublication Review
Tomorrow, Flatiron Books will publish former FBI Director Jim Comey’s book, a much-anticipated memoir in which Comey will reportedly share striking new details from his two decades…
The Real “Red Line” Behind Trump’s April 2018 Syria Strikes
Former State Department Legal Adviser Harold Koh writes that strikes on Syria could be legal, but key unanswered factual questions remain about April's operation. What's also missing…
Bad Legal Arguments for the Syria Strikes
There is no apparent domestic or international legal authority for the airstrikes conducted in Syria on April 14.
“A Troubled Place”—Trump Doubles Down on Syria…While Also Giving Up On It
Former NSC official, Joshua Geltzer writes, "for Trump to double down on America’s mission in Syria by committing to a sustained counter-chemical weapons campaign while at the…
Kurdish-Held Detainees in Syria Are Not in a “Legal Gray Area”
Kurdish troops from the Syrian Democratic Forces stand in a forward operating base overlooking the frontline near the ISIL-held town of Hole in Rojava, Syria. (Photo by John Moore/Getty…
Is the United States a Party to the Conflict Between the Saudi-Led Coalition and the Houthis?
Photo: A U.S.-made Saudi F-15. Image: Meteb Ali via Wikimedia Commons. This is piece is the latest article in our forum on the Yemen crisis and the law. Under international law,…