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.
4,595 Articles

Human Rights Priorities for 2025: The Global Landscape
The task of those working for international human rights is expansive. Here are a few areas to watch in 2025.

Trump’s Real Felony Sentence: The Jury’s Verdict Hasn’t Been Erased
For the last week, President-elect Donald Trump’s defense attorneys submitted hundreds of pages of legal arguments in four courts from New York City to Albany to Washington,…

Unpacking the Inspector General Report on January 6th and FBI “False Flag” Conspiracies
A top expert analysis of the evidence in the Inspector General report.

Beyond ‘Critical’ Minerals, Don’t Forget Gold’s Role as a Driver of Economic Growth — and Conflict
The UAE has begun to take corrective steps to rein in illicit gold trade. The incoming Trump administration could find lessons there.

El Pacto de Seguridad del Tratado de Río y las consecuencias imprevistas de amenazar a Canadá, Groenlandia y Panamá
This article is also available in English here. La presente traducción es cortesía del autor. Las recientes declaraciones del presidente electo Donald Trump sobre la política…

The Rio Treaty’s Security Pact and Unintended Consequences of Threatening Canada, Greenland, and Panama
The legal obligations the second Trump administration may have to Canada, Greenland, and Panama refer to a NATO forerunner: the "Rio Treaty"

National Security Resilience and Reform: Trump 2.0 and Beyond
Beginning a national security reform process is not just necessary, but urgently demanded to break inertia and launch a new dynamic.

Trump’s Realist Option for Int’l Criminal Court Case Against Netanyahu
The incoming Trump administration can take advantage of the ICC's activities to achieve legitimate U.S. interests in Gaza and beyond.

Congress Must Heed Koh’s Call to Surface Secret Law
Ensuring that any secret law-making in the executive branch gets disinfecting sunlight is uniquely important because of its potential to give legal cover for overbroad, unaccountable,…

A Reflection on Terrorism, New Orleans and the Dangers of Overreach
Understanding the "who" and "why" of the New Orleans attack is necessary to prevent hyperbole from framing the discussion on terrorism risks.

The Ethics Complaint Against Liz Cheney: Blue Smoke Without Fire
A recently released House of Representatives Subcommittee on Oversight report accuses former Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney of unethical conduct and concludes that “the Federal…

Border Technologies Under Trump 2.0
With few safeguards to govern AI deployment, high-risk experimentation at the border will likely continue during Trump's second term.