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
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…
Questions for Tillerson and Pompeo Confirmation Hearings — Updated
Confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks continue Wednesday. The Senate Judiciary Committee is holding its second day of hearings to examine…
Questions for Confirmation Hearings for Jeff Sessions as Attorney General
Attorney general nominee Sen. Jeff Sessions will face the Senate Judiciary Committee for two days’ worth of confirmation hearings, starting tomorrow at 9:30 am. Just Security’s…
Trump Calls for Congressional Investigation of his Administration-in-Waiting
On Friday, President-elect Donald Trump tweeted: “I am asking the chairs of the House and Senate committees to investigate top secret intelligence shared with NBC prior to…
The Troubling Application of the Political Question Doctrine to Congressional Force Authorizations
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Nov. 21 dismissed the suit brought by U.S. Army Captain Nathan Michael Smith challenging the legality of the military campaign…
Top 10 Gender and Security Developments of 2016
These developments and issues are not in any hierarchical order. They represent a broad swath of gender-related practices, actions, opportunities and setbacks that emerged in 2016.…
And Dan Coats Makes Five–Senior Policymakers in a Trump Administration Who Would Take a Hard Line on Russia
President-elect Donald Trump will reportedly name former Indiana Senator Dan Coats to replace James Clapper as Director of National Intelligence. Coats would become the fifth…
Can Trump Unravel Obama’s Rules of War?
For eight years, the Obama administration has pursued a tough-minded war against al Qaeda and affiliated terrorist groups that has eliminated their leaders from Somalia to Afghanistan…
International Law and the US Response to Russian Election Interference
On Thursday, Senator McCain will hold hearings of the Armed Services Committee on the Russian election hacking. Several aspects of Russia’s election interference raise issues…
The DHS/FBI Report on Russian Hacking was a Predictable Failure
Russian cyber espionage against American political targets has dominated the news in recent months, intensifying last week with President Barack Obama’s announcement of sanctions…
Five (Overlooked) Decision Points for the Trump Administration in National Security
What are the decision points that the President-elect’s transition team and incoming administration will likely face over the horizon in the national security arena? News media…