Authoritarianism

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241 Articles
A voting booth covered with blue curtains stands at the left side of the frame, while on the right, a man stands slightly stooped while placing a paper ballot into a wooden ballot box. Behind the man stand a Romanian flag on his left and a European Union flag to the right.

Foreign Interference and the Democratic Self-Defense Trap: A European Perspective Going into the 2026 Midterms

How to safeguard elections against genuine foreign interference while preventing incumbent governments from exploiting allegations of interference to undermine voting rights?

The Just Security Podcast: How State and Local Governments Can Fight Back Against Authoritarianism

Erwin Chemerinsky and Aziz Huq discuss the powers that state and local governments can use to serve as a check against authoritarianism and federal overreach.
IMAGES (left to right): Natural disaster and its consequences (via Getty Images); In this picture taken on September 28, 2022, an internally displaced flood-affected family sits outside their tent at a makeshift tent camp in Jamshoro district of Sindh province (Photo by Rizwan Tabassum/AFP via Getty Images; Trees smolder and burn during the Dixie fire near Greenville, California on August 3, 2021. – Numerous fires are raging through the state’s northern forests, as climate change makes wildfire season longer, hotter and more devastating. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Just Security’s Climate Archive

A catalog of articles analyzing the diplomatic, political, legal, security, and humanitarian consequences of the international climate crisis.
Aerial view of a crowd of at least hundreds behind metal barriers in the foreground, with bright-colored port-a-potties on the right, against a backdrop of high-rise buildings at back left and mountains and a bay at back right.

Hard Lessons from Brazil on Defending Democracy

The United States could learn from Brazil about forming a cross-sectoral coalition to defend democratic institutions. So why is it falling short?
An empty judge's bench in a wood-paneled courtroom, with an American flag and a gold Great Seal of the United States mounted on the wall. Court-branded computer monitors are in the foreground.

State Attorneys General Can Enforce Federal Laws the Executive Branch Won’t

To combat executive non-enforcement, state attorneys general are using antitrust law to hold corporations accountable.
A wooden judge's gavel rests on a copy of the U.S. Constitution, with the opening words 'We the People' visible, set against a folded American flag.

“Fight Back: How States Can Counter Authoritarianism” Series

A series exploring the powers and authorities state and local governments have to check federal overreach and protect democratic norms and individual rights.
The president, wearing wire-rim glasses, a dark suit with white shirt and baby blue striped tie and solid kerchief, is walking from the right of the frame to the left across a blurred background of red earth.

America Sent Them Into a Dictatorship’s Torture Chambers, Then Looked Away

The United States is deporting third-country nationals to Equatorial Guinea despite its documented pattern of human rights abuses.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz gestures while speaking in front of a podium, with a blurred figure of a woman visible behind him and a small orange origami rabbit resting on top of the podium.

Governors and State Administration

Gubernatorial opposition is a powerful and often necessary component of meaningful state pushback against federal overreach.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson holds a white "Protecting Chicago" sign that reads "Private Area, No Trespassing — You Do Not Have Consent To Enter For Civil Immigration Enforcement Purposes," with Chicago.gov/Protect and 12th Ward Alderwoman Julia Ramirez's contact information listed at the bottom.

Cities as Nodes of Resistance

Over 175 years later, cities’ historic role as hubs of resistance takes on renewed resonance in today’s era of rising authoritarianism in the United States.
Close-up view of the California State Capitol dome in Sacramento, featuring allegorical sculptures beneath a row of Corinthian columns.

State Imperatives to Protect Civil Rights for All

States need independent agencies with jurisdiction to enforce their residents’ rights so the valuation of those rights are evenhanded and not subject to political will.
A law enforcement officer in riot gear and a gas mask stands in the foreground, seen through a chained fence. Behind the fence, protesters hold signs reading "ICE OUT NOW," "RESTORE CONSTITUTIONAL LAW," and "ICE KILLS."

Collateral Accountability: The Oldest Check on Federal Lawlessness

As a federal-level accountability desert forms, states are reviving "collateral accountability" — damages suits against federal officers who violate constitutional rights.
A woman fills out paperwork at a driver's license office counter, with a 'Fill Out Application' sign in the foreground and other visitors standing at counters in the background.

States Can Fight Federal Overreach by Protecting State Data

States must be vigilant stewards of their data — auditing what they hold, limiting what they share, and enforcing legal constraints against federal overreach.
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