Democracy & Rule of Law
Just Security’s expert authors provide analysis on threats and challenges to democracy and the rule of law in the United States and globally. Coverage includes analysis of the separation of powers, good governance, democratic backsliding, authoritarianism, judicial independence, freedom of the press and association, and accountability for rule of law violations.
Highlights:
DOJ’s Dangerous Silence in the Face of Federal Immigration Agents’ Violent Tactics
The DOJ has the authority, resources, and responsibility to hold federal agents accountable for willful constitutional violations.
Who Will Stand Up for Human Rights in 2026 – and How?
The deterioration in human rights in 2025 heightens the risks for defenders going forward, all worsened by donors' deep funding cuts, especially those of the United States.
War Powers, Venezuela, Drug Boats, and Congress
The last year of unauthorized military interventions and the president’s threats should spur Congress to reassert its constitutional prerogatives over the use of force.
Collection: U.S. Lethal Strikes on Suspected Drug Traffickers, Operation Southern Spear, Operation Absolute Resolve
Collection of expert analysis on the legality of the U.S. strike on Venezuelan vessels in the Caribbean, the consequences of the strike, and related issues.
Expert Q&A on U.S. Military Actions on Venezuela and Boat Strikes
Expert FAQ on the U.S. military operations against Venezuela, high seas boat strikes, seizure of vessels and more.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Let Not Arrogance Be Our Doom
With humility and our collective morals and values, we must extinguish the flames of hubris in US foreign and domestic policy, or "our arrogance will be our doom."
3,191 Articles
The New Civil Rights “Backstop”: How DAs and AGs Can and Must Investigate ICE Abuses
The new role for state and local law enforcement authorities in prosecuting criminal violations of Americans' civil rights.
Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions
A public resource tracking all the legal challenges to the Trump administration's executive orders and actions.
Just Security’s Russia–Ukraine War Archive
A catalog of over 100 articles (many with Ukrainian translations) on the Russia Ukraine War -- law, diplomacy, policy options, and more.
Trump v. Illinois: A Narrow Supreme Court Decision with Broad Implications
The rationale behind the Supreme Court’s decision in 𝑇𝑟𝑢𝑚𝑝 𝑣. 𝐼𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑖𝑠 complicates Trump's remaining options for deploying federal military…
Collection: Just Security’s Coverage of Trump Administration Executive Actions
Coverage of key developments, including in concise “What Just Happened” expert explainers, legal and policy analysis, and more. Check back frequently for updates.
The Anti-Corruption Tracker: Mapping the Erosion of Oversight and Accountability
This Anti-Corruption Tracker focuses on the erosion or dismantling of oversight and accountability systems within the United States Executive Branch.
Head of State Immunity and Maduro on Trial
Why did Maduro tell the judge he's still president? One reason: under international law, one country's sitting head of state can’t be prosecuted in another country’s courts.
The Epstein Files and the Seven Member Rule
In a polarized Congress, discharge petitions and the Seven Member Rule preserve a limited but vital role for the minority, strengthening oversight.
Maduro Capture Operation and the President’s Duty to Faithfully Execute U.N. Charter
A decades-old Office of Legal Counsel memorandum claiming the President can disregard the UN Charter does not withstand serious scrutiny.
Timeline of Boat Strikes and Related Actions
A timeline that chronicles major events in the Trump administration’s campaign of lethal strikes against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
Fact Checking Bari Weiss: The Stated Reasons for Spiking 60 Minutes “Inside CECOT”
"If 60 Minutes had 'explained this' as Weiss described, the segment would have included false or highly misleading information."
Nine Stories That Deserved More Attention in 2025 – and Might Shape 2026
What stories or topics merited more attention in 2025, and which might inform law and policy conversations in 2026?