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.
4,713 Articles
The Just Security Podcast: Eliminating the Judicial “Blue Slip”
An obscure process called the “blue slip,” allows a single Senator to stop a judicial nomination in its tracks.
The Year of Section 702 Reform, Part I: Backdoor Searches
Requiring a warrant for U.S. person queries honors the balance between security and liberty struck in the Fourth Amendment and ensures that Section 702 can’t be used to get around…
The US Needs a Strategy for (Human) Security Cooperation
The result is a frequent perception of enabling rights abuses and atrocities committed by foreign military partners.
Rephrasing the “Ethical Checklist”: Grappling with Tough Foreign Policy Choices
How can states pursue more ethical, value-based approaches to foreign policy amidst competing priorities and strategic realities?
Biden’s Embrace of Trump’s Transit Ban Violates US Legal and Moral Refugee Obligations
"The new transit ban would violate the United States’ protection obligations to refugees, which are long-standing and solidly based in both international and domestic law."
A Big Few Weeks for Guantanamo: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
"It’s been an uncharacteristically Guantanamo-news-filled few weeks – some good, some bad, some ugly. Here’s a quick rundown of recent developments."
For 9/11 Families, Plea Deals Are the Only Path Forward
There is more bipartisan consensus than ever before that military commissions have failed to provide justice for 9/11 families. Plea deals are a way out. The only thing standing…
Trump’s Hush Money is News Again. Here’s Why We Should Care
A criminal investigation of former president Donald Trump now being restarted by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and also discussed in a new book by one of his former…
On Ukraine, Europeans are Doing More Than Many Seem to Think
Data shows the EU and its member countries committed slightly more to Ukraine than the US last year, drawing on respective areas of strength.
Dear Senator Durbin, It’s Time to End the “Blue Slip” for Judicial Nominees
It's long past time for the Senate to abandon the anti-democratic "blue slip" process for judicial nominations.
The IC’s Biggest Open-Source Intelligence Challenge: Mission Creep
Expanding US open-source intelligence collection comes with key risks and trade-offs.
Haiti’s Police Protests Highlight Armed Gangs’ Ties to Government
In January alone, at least 16 officers died and two others are missing. The culprits are armed gangs tied to official corruption.