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.
4,606 Articles
Letter to the Editor: A Reply to David Golove on Iran
David Golove makes a compelling argument as to why a recent Senate bill – the Iran Nuclear Negotiations Act of 2014 – would have the “perverse” effect of strengthening…
Sen McCain: Iran pact “in every aspect, a treaty” requiring Senate consent–and his bill that says the opposite
In an excellent post on Wednesday, my colleague David Golove dives deep into the constitutional requirements for a nuclear agreement with Iran. David’s analysis suggests…
UN Disarmament Board: New proposals to improve drone strike transparency and accountability
A new report of the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters (full text) contains a number of recommendations related to both autonomous weapons and current…
Ferguson is not Fallujah
The shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, has sparked a long overdue discussion about the militarization of local police. The funds and equipment funneled to police…
James Foley and the Hostage Act
Some commentators have suggested that the newly disclosed special forces operation to rescue James Foley may have lacked congressional authorization, thereby further underscoring…
How Deep is U.S. Public Support for Airstrikes in Iraq?
A recent poll by the Pew Research Center/USA TODAY is being described by commentators as revealing a high level of US public support for airstrikes in Iraq. But how much comfort…
Presidential Authority to Conclude an Iran Nuclear Agreement—and the Senate’s Self-Defeating Bill
The prospect of a successful conclusion to the ongoing negotiations with Iran over a nuclear deal promises to generate a debate over fundamental constitutional questions about…
ODNI’s Civil Liberties Protection Officer Sets Forth Defense of 12333 Surveillance
Earlier this month, New York Times reporter Charlie Savage covered public criticisms made by John Napier Tye, a departing State Department official, of the NSA’s collection…
Did the U.S. drone strike and secretly compensate Yemeni civilians?
New documentary evidence has emerged indicating that the families of those killed in a controversial December 2013 U.S. strike in Yemen received upwards of $1 million dollars in…
What the UK Government’s Remarks Say about US Mission in Iraq
In a burst of information, British Prime Minister David Cameron and his Defense Secretary Michael Fallon have begun to describe in more detail the British military mission in Iraq…
Disappearing People and Disappearing the Evidence: The Deeper Significance of the SSCI Report
When the executive summary of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s (SSCI) report on the CIA’s torture program is finally released, it is likely to discredit a story…
Executive Order 12333, Notice, and the Due Process Rights of Criminal Defendants
In a world of electronic surveillance and secret searches, notice is more essential than ever. Notice allows criminal defendants to test whether the government’s evidence was,…