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.
4,623 Articles
The Importance of Judicial Contempt Proceedings in a Trump Era
Among the many peculiar characteristics of the recently elected President is Donald Trump’s unwillingness to follow the ordinary and established norms of the office of President. …
Explainer on Officials in Contempt of Court Orders on #MuslimBan–Tracking All the Cases
In recent days, much of the focus has been on Washington State’s challenge to Trump’s Muslim Ban, which resulted in a nationwide stay upheld by the Ninth Circuit (see here…
[UPDATED: As of Feb. 6th; 6:00 p.m.] Getting a handle on the litigation challenging the seven-nation “travel ban”
The President’s Executive Order is only eight days old, and already there are many cases challenging it in federal court. The suits have been brought by many different…
The Recent Ground Raid in Yemen–What the Public is Entitled to Know
We know now that last Sunday’s ground operation in Yemen (also discussed here, here, and here) against an alleged Al Qaida in the Arab Peninsula (AQAP) target resulted in tragic…
Why Courts Appear Willing to Reject Trump’s Travel Ban Order
On Friday, James Robart, a U.S. federal district judge in Seattle, issued a nationwide temporary restraining order (TRO) against President Donald Trump’s Executive Order that…
Campaign Promises of War Crimes: Now a Stain on the Military
As we try to figure out what happened in Yemen during the U.S. military raid on January 28th, there are a host of questions that remain unanswered. Here, we explore another very…
Trump/Bannon Plan to Counter “Violent Islamic Extremism”—A Gift to White Supremacists, and Islamic Terrorists Too
When Trump’s homeland security “landing team” recently visited the offices of administration officials working on Countering Violent Extremism (CVE), they stated that the…
Mini-Nukes: A Gateway Drug
Recent reports of a Defense Science Board study advocating the development of low-yield nuclear weapons sets to life yet another round of discussion about deterrence and nuclear…
Bureaucrats are “the Program”
The citizens of Washington, D.C. are used to having their city constantly disparaged and civil servants from around the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia) ably endure the endless…
Full Text of Remarks by Top State Dep’t Official Discharged by Trump’s White House
Last week, six top State Department officials were suddenly discharged by the White House—an Undersecretary, an acting Undersecretary, and four Assistant Secretaries—without…
Norms Watch: Tracking the Erosion of Democratic Traditions (Jan. 27 to Feb. 3)
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…
Tinkering Won’t Save the Immigration and Refugee Executive Order–How to think about “Terrorist Safe Havens”
In a recent post I pointed out the serious flaws in the Trump administration’s claim that the seven countries identified in its Executive Order on immigration were selected on…