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
A Round-Up of Just Security’s Coverage of Trump’s Trans Ban
It’s been over two weeks since President Donald Trump tweeted his decision to ban transgender people from serving from the military. On the Wednesday it happened, the White House…
Norms Watch: Democracy, the Trump Administration, and Reactions to It (August 4-August 11)
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…
No, the President Cannot Strike North Korea Without Congressional Approval
A CNN story on Wednesday asks: “Can the President launch a military strike on his own [on North Korea]?”–i.e., without further congressional authorization?…
A Legal and Policy Risk Analysis of the Erik Prince Plan to Privatize War in Afghanistan
Trump administration officials reportedly are considering a plan to privatize a significant portion of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. Erik Prince, founder of the notorious security…
FBI Search of Paul Manafort’s Home: What Does It Really Mean?
On Wednesday news broke that at the end of last month, FBI agents searched one of Paul Manafort’s homes for documents as part of the Russia collusion investigation, directed…
In the U.S.-U.K. Deal, Both Sides Deserve Scrutiny
We recently published an analysis in Lawfare of the United Kingdom’s surveillance framework as it relates to the proposed U.S.-U.K. agreement for cross-border law enforcement…
Lots at Stake Whether Trump is Immune from Prosecution–even if Mueller doesn’t indict
There are more reasons than you might think why it’s important to resolve the “constitutional puzzle” concerning whether a sitting president can be criminally prosecuted.…
What A Foreign Intelligence Analysis of President Trump Would Look Like
[Editor’s note: In governments around the world, intelligence agencies produce “leadership profiles” of foreign heads of state and other key figures. These assessments…
Kenya’s Elections Matter for the U.S.
A police officer watches over a polling station at Olympic Primary School in Kibera, one of the largest slums in Africa, on August 8, 2017 in Nairobi, Kenya. Today, Kenyans are…
Tweets, Trans, and the American Military
On the morning of July 26, President Donald Trump turned out a triptych of tweets taking a policy position banning transgender people from serving openly in the U.S. military.…
Trump’s New War on Leaks: Reporters Caught in the Crossfire?
At a press conference on August 4, Attorney General Jeff Sessions condemned “in the strongest possible terms the staggering number of leaks” of classified national security…
Norms Watch: Democracy, the Trump Administration, and Reactions to It (July 28-August 4)
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…