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
Thoughts on Erik Prince’s Proposal to Privatize Intelligence Gathering
This week we learned, via the Intercept, of Erik Prince’s proposal to provide the Trump Administration with a private intelligence outfit. According to the Intercept, “The…
The Collateral Costs of a Logan Act Prosecution
Michael Flynn’s plea hearing last Friday—which I had the good fortune to witness—was accompanied by an extraordinary “Statement of the Offense.” The document indicates…
Trump’s Opportunity to Keep Up with Obama on Use of Force Transparency
One year ago, today, the Obama administration released a 66-page report detailing the legal and policy framework governing the use of military force and related national security…
Norms Watch: Democracy, the Trump Administration, and Reactions to It (Nov. 2017)
Editor’s Note: Welcome to the latest installment of Norms Watch, our series tracking both the flouting of democratic norms by the Trump administration and the erosion of…
Do You Want Putin’s Attention? Sanction Sport
Regardless of the outcome of tonight’s decision by the International Olympic Committee on whether to ban Russia for its alleged state-sanctioned doping program for its Olympic…
Responding to the Myths About Reforming FISA’s Section 702
Image: National Security Agency headquarters, Fort Meade, Md. As the New Year’s deadline for reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) approaches,…
Sanctions No More: Slouching Toward Normalization with Sudan?
October and November saw major shifts in U.S. foreign policy towards Sudan, despite the Sudanese government’s abysmal human rights record and the International Criminal Court’s…
Special Edition Just Security Podcast: Mike Flynn’s Plea Deal
I sat down with former White House lawyer Andy Wright to have a quick conversation about today’s news that President Donald Trump’s former National Security Advisor…
What Does Flynn Plea Deal Mean?
Special Counsel Robert Mueller announced this morning that a plea hearing for retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump’s first national security adviser, would…
Warrantless Backdoor Searches are Not “Business as Usual”
This week, Just Security ran two posts, one by Matt Olsen and one by Asha Rangappa, defending the government’s warrantless access to Americans’ communications obtained “incidentally”…
Former Prosecutor Renato Mariotti’s Tweet Threads on National Security (Nov. 25-Dec. 1)
Here is an exposition and analysis of some of this week’s national security-related threads authored by Just Security Editorial Board member and former federal prosecutor Renato…
State Dept. Shakeup: The Trump Administration Must Do More to Keep U.S. Diplomats Safe
It’s a tough time to be an American diplomat. The State Department is reeling as Secretary Tillerson presides over a management trainwreck that hardly seems fitting for a man…