The United States and Human Rights

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The United States and Human Rights

Looking Inward and Outward

Edited by David P. Forsythe

406 pages

Paperback

December 2008

978-0-8032-2085-0

$29.95 Add to Cart

About the Book

The United States and Human Rights addresses the place of human rights in U.S. policy, both domestic and foreign. The contributors are leading analysts of international human rights, some having considerable experience working with human rights organizations and others providing expertise from such fields as law, developmental anthropology, political science, and public diplomacy.

The first part of the book deals with human rights issues in American society. The contributors focus on how international human rights standards could improve American society in several areas, including health care, the labor force, and refugee and immigration affairs. Other essays analyze why the United States has been hesitant to ratify human rights treaties. The second part of the book deals with human rights issues in American foreign policy, considering both stated ideals and the practical application of those ideals. Of particular interest are the impact of public opinion on humanitarian assistance and support for democracy abroad, and how the persistent issue of universal human rights affects U.S. relations with the United Nations, human rights organizations, indigenous peoples, and particular countries.

Author Bio

David P. Forsythe is Charles J. Mach Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the University of Nebraska. He is the author or editor of many books, including Human Rights and Peace: International and National Dimensions (Nebraska 1993).

Praise

"David Forsythe has put together a much-needed volume on the place of human rights in US policy. Indeed, the primary strength of this edited volume is its focus on the ways in which US policies affect human rights both abroad and at home. . . . An important step in the right direction."—Debra L. DeLaet, Nationalism and Ethnic Politics

Awards

Friends of American Writers Literary Awards, Second Place, 2000

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