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.

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4,554 Articles
U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) conduct a traffic stop near the U.S. Capitol

How to Truly Keep Washington, DC Safe: President Trump’s militarized approach undercuts what’s been working

The spectacle in DC is a warning: presidential authority is being stretched simply to grab power. History tells us that’s how liberty erodes.
The Just Security Podcast

Just Security Podcast: What Just Happened – Federalization of Law Enforcement in Washington DC

Carrie Cordero and Donell Harvin join David Aaron to discuss legal and policy considerations regarding federalization of law enforcement in DC.
US President President Donald Trump tours a migrant detention center

Big Budget Act Creates a ‘Deportation Industrial Complex’ That Will be Hard to Dismantle

An assessment of how DHS and ICE will spend new funds and the balance between deportation enforcement and the system's humanitarian goals and proper legal process.
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 9: The U.S, Capitol Building seen at dusk on June 9, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)

Three Thorny Issues to Watch in Congressional Investigations

Amidst an escalation of interbranch tension, the authors explore three emerging legal issues affecting the law of congressional oversight and separation of powers.

The Trump Administration’s Use of State Power Against Media: Keeping Track of the Big Picture

Tracking the use of State power requires systematically identifying linkages between individual developments and broader trends. This graphic offers one method.
Building in Washington, DC with an American flag

Save the PMF Program or Risk Losing a Generation of Public Servants

The Trump administration's elimination of the PMF program will have negative long-term consequences for an entire generation of policymakers.
The United States Capital with a backdrop of a digital canvas

The AI Action Plan and Federalism: A Constitutional Analysis

If the U.S. AI Action Plan's approach survives constitutional scrutiny, it will erode vital and enduring checks on presidential authority.
Visualization of a man in front of data

The Real National Security Betrayal Isn’t Who Leaves—It’s What Gets Dismantled

The real national security threat from the Trump administration's civil service purges isn’t who might go rogue—it’s the dismantling of the systems built to prevent betrayal.
U.S. President Donald Trump displays a signed executive order

Assessing the Trump Administration’s AI Action Plan

Unpacking the Trump administration's AI Action Plan — what’s new, what’s not, and what’s next.
Capitol Building

Congress Has a Responsibility to Ensure Every Defense Dollar Delivers

Introducing bipartisan legislation to reform the Nunn-McCurdy Act, giving Congress greater oversight of defense spending and enforcing accountability for cost overruns.
US Department of State building with sign in front

On the Role of State Department Career Attorneys

Ascribing indifference or, at worst, malevolent motives to career attorneys who are unable to refute such claims as they are bound by privilege is truly disappointing.
The Just Security Podcast

Decoding Trump’s AI Playbook: The AI Action Plan and What Comes Next

Joshua Geltzer, Jenny Marron, and Sam Winter-Levy join Brianna Rosen on the Just Security podcast to discuss the Trump administration's AI Action Plan.
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