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
Did Trump Try to “Bribe” Comey?
As we head toward James Comey’s testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, I thought it would be useful to remind readers about a recent Just Security essay…
An Urgent Need for International Action on Australia’s Refugees
News that U.S. officials have been fingerprinting refugees on Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island ahead of their possible resettlement in the United States is a hopeful signal to…
Trump Admits: ‘Extreme Vetting’ Already Happening Without the Travel Ban
Lots of people have been commenting on the self-sabotaging aspect of Donald Trump’s early morning Twitter-storm, which undermines a central argument in his Supreme Court challenge…
Fight It with FOIA: How Congress Can Respond to White House Attempts to Block Congressional Oversight
The Trump White House took another step last week to weaken the checks and balances at the center of our constitutional system. According to Politico, President Donald Trump’s…
Paris Is a Binding Agreement: Here’s Why that Matters
A growing chorus of U.S. business leaders, state and local government officials, civil society groups, and foreign partners have condemned the President’s announcement that,…
More on the Effective Date of the Entry Ban and the Hawaii Injunction (Response to Will Baude)
In a post yesterday, I argued that it wouldn’t make much sense for the Supreme Court to grant the government’s petition for certiorari in the “entry ban”…
Could the White House Invoke Executive Privilege to Block Comey Testimony?
The White House confirmed Friday that it is reviewing whether to invoke executive privilege to prevent former FBI Director James Comey from testifying before the Senate Intelligence…
Norms Watch: Democracy, the Trump Administration, and Reactions to It (May 26-June 2)
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…
Trump’s So-Called Withdrawal from Paris: Far From Over
On Thursday, President Trump announced his intent that the United States “withdraw” from the Paris Agreement, the landmark climate change treaty that establishes national greenhouse…
Campaign Finance Law: When “Collusion” with a Foreign Government Becomes a Crime
Commentary on Russian intervention in the 2016 elections has included one confidently expressed and perhaps growing view: that there may be a scandal there, but no conceivable…
Army Chief is Fired in South Sudan: A Turning Point for Peace?
South Sudan President Salva Kiir surprised both South Sudanese citizens and regional analysts by firing Army Chief of Staff Paul Malong — arguably the most divisive public figure…
The UAE’s Military and Naval Reliance on Eritrea Makes the War in Yemen Even Riskier for the U.S.
The Saudi-led coalition’s near three-year conflict in Yemen appears to be converging on the Houthi-controlled city of Hodeidah. Foreign diplomats, international humanitarian…