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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4,599 Articles
Shot of the Justice Department building at night

Inching Toward a More Transparent Office of Legal Counsel

Analysis of DOJ Office of Legal Counsel's May 19, 2023 release of a new index of unclassified OLC opinions written between 1998 and 2019.
Immigrants seeking asylum in the U.S., who are stuck in a makeshift camp between border walls between the U.S. and Mexico, sit as a Customs and Border Protection officer keeps watch while other migrants are lined up to be transported.

As Title 42 Comes to an End, So Should Military Operations at the US-Mexico Border

"The militarization of the southern border not only stigmatizes migrants and asylum seekers but also undermines core legal principles designed to protect democracy and individual…
US journalist Evan Gershkovich stands inside a defendants' cage.

Rethinking US Foreign Policy Strategy on Wrongful Detention

Wrongful detention is a threat to US persons everywhere, and should be a top priority in domestic and foreign policy.
Reporters watch a CNN town hall featuring Donald Trump on a screen.

Trump’s Most Pivotal, Incriminating Admission on CNN

"But why is this admission so pivotal to the potential outcome of a trial? The answer is location, location, location."
US Vice President Kamala Harris (L) and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema are seen outside at the State House in Lusaka on March 31, 2023 after a press conference. President Hichilema asked for US help to expedite debt restructuring negotiations with the country's creditors.  (Photo by SALIM DAWOOD/AFP via Getty Images)

Dealing with Hybrid Regimes: Pursuing US Interests Without Giving them a Pass on Democracy

Failing to address their democratic deficiencies sets up the US and G7 for long-term strategic failure and hinders economic prosperity.
The episode title is shown with sound waves behind it

The Just Security Podcast: FISA Section 702 Reauthorization

To understand how the U.S. government thinks about Section 702 reauthorization, Tess Bridgeman sat down with Chris Fonzone and Josh Geltzer.
The episode title is shown with sound waves behind it

The Just Security Podcast: A New Era for U.S. Asylum?

Title 42's end could upend a simple idea at the heart of a complex U.S. immigration system: that people fleeing persecution can find refuge.
A national guardsman stands with his body and face hidden in shadow behind a wire fence.

The End of Asylum?

The Biden administration's new system effectively changes who is able to seek and receive asylum protection in the United States.
An officer of the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) takes part in an operation against Amazon deforestation at an illegal mining camp, known as garimpo, at the Yanomami territory in Roraima State, Brazil

The U.S. Military Can Help Save the Amazon

The U.S. military should partner with Brazilian forces to counter illegal deforestation that is contributing to climate change.
Antigovernment protesters hold a Nicaraguan flag over their heads against the sky and yell slogans in front of a riot police line during the 71st International Celebration of Human Rights in Managua on December 10, 2019.  (Photo by INTI OCON/AFP via Getty Images)

Nicaragua’s Human Rights Crisis, Fueling Migrant Flows, Demands More Strategic US Action

The policy has been largely ad hoc. Success requires strong, coordinated messaging, sanctions, accountability steps, and other measures.

DHS Intelligence Rearranges the Deck Chairs—Again

The new realignment of the DHS Office of Intelligence & Analysis fails to address the agency's fundamental problems.
This photo illustration created on April 13, 2023, shows the Discord logo and the suspect, national guardsman Jack Teixeira, reflected in an image of the Pentagon in Washington, DC.

Not for Self, But for Country? A Crisis for U.S. Counterintelligence

The Teixeira breach revealed a new counterintelligence challenge - young Americans who have lost faith in the system.
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