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.
4,757 Articles
2022 Update: Good Governance Paper No. 8: How to Strengthen Oversight by Congress
At one-year mark of Biden administration, top experts revisit proposals to restore and promote nonpartisan principles of good government.
Clear Error in the Defense Department’s Law of War Manual: On Presumptions of Civilian Status
This article is the first in a new project at Just Security that assesses the U.S. Department of Defense’s Law of War Manual with a goal of providing constructive opportunities…
A Big Step Forward or Running in Place?: The Pentagon’s New Policy on Civilian Casualties
New Pentagon effort to respond to civilian harm is encouraging, but DOD needs to demonstrate leadership, scope the problem correctly, and address the growing credibility gap to…
Foreign Agents Registration Act Reform: On the 2022 Agenda?
Justice Department invites public comment on proposed reforms to Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Here's an expert explainer.
Haitians Have Built Consensus on a Democratic Way Forward. Why Is an Undemocratic Leader Still in Office?
The Biden administration faces another inflection point in its support for a leader opposed by a civil society-led alliance.
The Al-Qurayshi Operation and Minimization of Civilian Casualties
US officials’ emphasis on minimization of civilian casualties in an operation against such a high value target deserves special attention.
Biden’s Guantanamo Politics are not Obama’s
To the extent that political concerns with moving aggressively toward Guantanamo closure were at one time persuasive among some executive branch officials, they shouldn’t be…
Biden Team Gets It Right on Inadmissibility of Torture Evidence in Al-Nashiri Case
In a much anticipated brief, the government categorically rejected the use of statements obtained through torture in military commissions and promised not to admit any statements…
Senate Hearing on Sudan: Is the US Ready for a Needed Reset?
US policy, including sanctions, should reflect the new reality on the ground and the Biden administration's stated commitment to democracy.
FARA’s Next Big Year
There are big anticipated changes in the law, enforcement, and administration of the Foreign Agents Registration Act in 2022.
Putin’s Coercion on NATO Goes Beyond Its Open Door Policy
An over-fixation on alliance enlargement in responding to Russia’s buildup will not create lasting stability. The catalysts are more complex.
Post-January 6th, the Military is Addressing Extremism in Its Ranks. Sort of.
DOD policy review on preventing domestic extremism is a necessary step, but more is needed to meet the threat.