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
About that Executive Privilege “Policy”: Congress Should Call the Bluff
During last week’s hearing of the Senate intelligence committee, Attorney General Jeff Sessions generated withering criticism by repeatedly refusing to answer Senators’ questions…
Why It Does Not Matter Who Rachel Brand Is
Last week, amid speculation that Acting Attorney General Rod Rosenstein may be forced to recuse himself from the expanding Russia investigation – unless he gets fired first –…
America’s AUMF Problem: Tomorrow’s Senate Hearing and a New Proposal from Eliot Engel
Events over the last several weeks show that not only is the AUMF issue not going away, but that Congress continues to inch closer to agreement. This Tuesday, the Senate Foreign…
Exclusive: Draft Military Force Authorization against ISIL—by House Foreign Affairs Committee, Ranking Member Rep. Engel
Representative Eliot Engel, the ranking Democratic member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee has prepared a draft authorization for use of military force (AUMF) against ISIL…
On the Precipice: The U.S. and Russia in Syria
A Russian air force Su-30 fighter jet in Syria. The United States and Russia have entered a new and dangerous moment. On Sunday, a U.S. fighter jet shot down a Syrian warplane.…
Why There’s No Basis to Think Rod Rosenstein Will Recuse
Some commentators are already speculating what Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand will or should do when she becomes Acting Attorney General for purposes of the Russia investigation…
Exclusive: White House Officials Push For Widening War in Syria Over Pentagon Objections
A pair of top White House officials is pushing to broaden the war in Syria, viewing it as an opportunity to confront Iran and its proxy forces on the ground there, according to…
Norms Watch: Democracy, the Trump Administration, and Reactions to It (June 9-June 16)
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…
About that “Deconfliction Zone” in Syria: Is the United States on Firm Domestic and International Legal Footing?
The U.S. military has at least three times in recent weeks engaged in hostilities against pro-Syrian regime forces near the At Tanf garrison in southern Syria and shot down a pro-regime…
How the President’s “Clarifying” Memorandum Destroys the Case for the Entry Ban
[Cross-posted on the Take Care blog.] The government’s argument for suspending all entry into the United States of non-citizens from seven (now six) Muslim-majority countries…
The President Resuscitates the Entry Ban: Where Should the Court Go From Here?
Section 2(c) of Executive Order 13780, suspending entry into the United States of all nationals of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, died of natural causes at 12:01…
The Other Person in the Room with Comey and Sessions
During all of the intense debate over the testimony of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, perhaps the most important statement by Sessions has gone largely overlooked. During…