Secrecy
55 Articles

National Security Resilience and Reform: Trump 2.0 and Beyond
Beginning a national security reform process is not just necessary, but urgently demanded to break inertia and launch a new dynamic.

Congress Must Heed Koh’s Call to Surface Secret Law
Ensuring that any secret law-making in the executive branch gets disinfecting sunlight is uniquely important because of its potential to give legal cover for overbroad, unaccountable,…

The Value and Costs of Intelligence Diplomacy: CIA Director Burns in the Spotlight
A former CIA station chief considers his own experience with the practice in relation to Libya and the potential risks involved.

Is Secret Law the Solution to an Overbroad Surveillance Authority?
Congress can legislate both responsibly and openly, as long as the administration declassifies certain information that is already in the public domain.

The Office of Legal Counsel Discloses List of Classified Opinions in Important Step for Transparency
The disclosure of the titles means that journalists, researchers, and others can now request the Office of Legal Counsel opinions themselves, opening important new avenues for…

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.

Ending Perpetual War
With the threat of terrorism receding, the Biden administration should seize the moment and illuminate a path back to peace.

Biden’s New Counterterrorism Policy Guidance Further Entrenches the Forever War
Biden's classified policy memorandum on counterterrorism drone strikes is just one more stepping stone in the long path of the forever war.

Assessing Biden’s New Policy Framework for Counterterrorism Direct Action
Biden's new counterterrorism framework is consistent with policy efforts to dial back the war on terror.

The Biden Administration Should Begin its “War on Secrecy” by Releasing Key War Powers Reports
Providing a meaningful report to Congress - and the American public - on legal and policy frameworks governing the use of force and related national security operations is not…

What I Told Congress about U.S. Lethal Strikes
Congress should take steps to end America’s war-based approach to counterterrorism policy.

2022 Update: Good Governance Paper No. 18: Reforming Emergency Powers
At one-year mark of Biden administration, top experts revisit proposals to restore and promote nonpartisan principles of good government.