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
How Trump Can Work with Russia to Challenge the Status Quo and to Control ISIS
What should President Donald Trump do if ISIS crashed a plane into the Freedom Tower next September 11, 2017? After 16 years of a so-called “war on terror,” would experts be…
Why the Cartwright Pardon is More Important Than the Manning Commutation
Today’s news of President Obama’s decision to commute most of the rest of Chelsea Manning’s 35-year prison sentence has received (and will receive) significant…
Dissenting from Within the Trump Administration
After the presidential election, many of those who were already working in government or who were considering joining began to ask questions about the ethics of working for a Trump…
5 Best and 5 Worst Moments from the Week’s Confirmation Hearings on US National Security Issues
The week of confirmation hearings is over, and it’s time to take stock of what we have learned from the people the President-elect has nominated to lead his administration in…
Norms Watch: Tracking Team Trump’s Breaches of Democratic Traditions
We’re launching a regular series tracking President-elect Donald Trump’s adherence, or lack thereof, to democratic norms. These norms are not necessarily legally required,…
The President-Elect and the Logan Act
The Washington Post‘s David Ignatius has a really thoughtful new column summarizing the big questions surrounding the President-Elect, Russia, hacking, and the election. As…
New Symposium Scholarship on Human Shields
We have covered on these pages the legal and moral issues surrounding the use of human shields in contemporary armed conflict situations. The American Society of International…
Highlights from Tillerson Hearings on Nat’l Security and Int’l Law Issues
Secretary of State nominee, Rex Tillerson, who was until recently the CEO of ExxonMobil, faced the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday and fielded difficult questions…
Trump’s Responses to Allegations of Russian Connections
At his first press conference since July, President-elect Donald Trump faced questions from reporters on the shocking allegations concerning his presidential campaign’s possible…
Questions for Journalists to Ask Trump About the Unsubstantiated Allegations of Russian Connections
Wednesday’s press conference will offer President-elect Donald Trump the opportunity to address the shocking allegations concerning his presidential campaign’s possible connections…
Questions for Confirmation Hearings for Gen. James Mattis as Secretary of Defense
Retired Gen. James Mattis, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be defense secretary, will appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday at 9:30 a.m. Rep. Mike…
Trump’s Dangerous Attribution Message on Russian Hacking—and How to Counter It
President-elect Donald Trump’s repeated attacks on the Intelligence Community and denials of Russian involvement in the hacking of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) risk…