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.
4,780 Articles
Thoughts on Distinction and Proportionality in the December 2016 Revision to the Law of War Manual
The new revisions to the DoD Law of War Manual that the Department of Defense released last week are welcome in several respects. Four improvements are especially noteworthy:…
The “Hacked” US Election: Is International Law Silent, Faced with the Clatter of Cyrillic Keyboards?
Russia, it would appear, “hacked” its way into the US election. The Obama administration has pledged some sort of response. That reaction should be guided by a close consideration…
Recommended Holiday Reading from Just Security’s Editors
Just in time for holiday shopping, we asked some of our Just Security editors to help put together a reading list, partly with the incoming Trump administration in mind. We asked…
The (Potentially) Monumental Significance of the Jennings Supplemental Briefing Order
On November 30, the US Supreme Court heard oral argument in Jennings v. Rodriguez—a case that arises from three categories of immigration detention in which…
A Squarable Circle?: The Revised DoD Law of War Manual and the Challenge of Human Shields
In a new update to its Law of War (LoW) Manual, the U.S. Department of Defense kept its promise to be, as the DoD General Counsel (GC) Hon. Jennifer O’Connor reiterated at NYU…
Human Shields in the (Updated) Dept of Defense’s Law of War Manual
[Editor’s Note: On Tuesday, the Department of Defense released an updated version of its Law of War Manual. Just Security is hosting an online “mini forum” to discuss the…
The Updated DoD Law of War Manual and the Precaution of Military Objective Selection
[Editor’s Note: On Tuesday, the Department of Defense released an updated version of its Law of War Manual. Just Security is hosting an online “mini forum” to discuss the…
Initial Observations on the Law of War Manual Revision: “Three ups/Three downs”
[Editor’s Note: On Tuesday, the Department of Defense released an updated version of its Law of War Manual. Just Security is hosting an online “mini forum” to discuss the…
Defense Department Releases Second Round of Revisions for Law of War Manual
The Defense Department published new revisions to its Law of War Manual this evening. This is the second time the document has been changed since it was first released in the summer…
The Drone Memos Offers a Critique of Obama Administration’s ‘Shortsighted’ Policies on Targeted Killing
There are a lot of books about drones. In addition to fictionalized accounts of drone use and technical manuals, numerous policy books have been written that describe drone technology,…
At Least One Copy of the Senate Torture Report Will Be Preserved. What About the Others?
White House Counsel Neil Eggleston’s recent announcement that President Barack Obama will archive at least one copy of the full Senate torture report under the Presidential Records…
Another Look at the New ICRC Survey: Glimmers of Hope?
During his campaign, Donald Trump publicly endorsed torture, indiscriminate bombing of populated areas, and killing civilians with familial ties to members of ISIS—all of which…