January 8, 2020

Did the President have the domestic legal authority to kill Qassem Soleimani?

The U.S. drone strike that killed Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' leader Qassem Soleimani is a seismic event in U.S.-Iranian relations—and for the broader Middle East. Scott Anderson writes on Lawfare that although the strike may have been within the president's broad authority, it is also in tension with prior executive branch statements about that authority's limits.

Read on Lawfare

Additionally, Anderson and law of war and international law experts Bobby Chesney, Jack Goldsmith, Ashley Deeks, and Samuel Moyn joined Benjamin Wittes for a special edition of the Lawfare podcast to discuss the legality of the strike, what the president might do next, and how Congress might respond.

Is seeing still believing? The deepfake challenge to truth in politics 

The capacity to generate deepfakes is proceeding faster than the ability to detect them. As the 2020 election moves into full swing, William Galston warns that a well-timed forgery could have serious implications for U.S. domestic politics, diplomacy, and national security. 

Read more

New email course: How political parties pick a presidential candidate

Before the primary season kicks into full gear next month, become an expert on the presidential selection process by subscribing to Narrowing The Field—a free 5-part email course led by Elaine Kamarck. Starting January 12, you'll receive a new lesson in your inbox each week to read and test your knowledge.

Sign up for the free course

Join us for an upcoming event

Strengthening and reinvigorating Congress: Findings from the APSA Task Force on Congressional Reform (webcast available)

Thursday, January 9, 2020 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM EST

The ethical algorithm: A conversation with authors Michael Kearns and Aaron Roth (webcast available)

Tuesday, January 14, 2020 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST

More from Governance Studies

Regulating fact from fiction. Amber Herrle explores the tensions between free speech and truth in political advertising and explains why new legislation requiring fact-checking for political ads is imperative to protecting U.S. election processes.

Hitting refresh on online privacy policies. What will it take to get data privacy legislation right? Caitlin Chin and Cameron Kerry offer recommendations for notice and transparency.

Going backwards in the 'race for 5G'. Tom Wheeler warns that delays in necessary decision making by the Trump Administration mean that the effort to free up an important piece of 5G spectrum known as C-Band is farther behind now then it was at beginning of 2019.

Education policy in 2020. Whether it's the debate over free college, the unique politics surrounding charter schools, or the power of teacher strikes, Louis Serino explains why education promises to play a vital role in the 2020 election.

Trends to watch this year. In a new two-part compilation, Brookings experts share their thoughts on 2020's biggest policy issues and the top stories for policymakers to watch in the year ahead.