James Mattis

On Oct. 30, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee heard testimony from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis on the Trump administration’s views regarding the need for a new authorization for the use of military force (AUMF).

Plausible hypotheticals sparked by recent events raise the question whether the Secretary of Defense or someone else high up in the chain of command must obey a presidential order he or she deems deeply unwise. May the Secretary of Defense refuse an order to initiate preemptive war against North Korea because he believes it is a terrible idea that will result in hundreds of thousands of deaths? What steps might the Secretary take to immunize the U.S. Armed Forces from carrying out such presidential commands?

Erdogan Strengthens His Authority with Passage of Constitutional Reforms

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan achieved a major victory on Sunday in his years-long effort to apportion his executive office more authority. Unofficial results from a referendum that changes the constitution to grant Erdogan sweeping powers and diminish the role of the parliament show Erdogan eking out a narrow victory that opponents of the measures have already called into question.