U.S. Human Rights Policy in the Post-Cold War Era

Historically, the implementation of US human rights policy has been a case of "two steps forward, one step back." From its earliest days, the US has attempted, at least to some degree, to include morality, the protection of individual rights, and the spread of democracy in foreign policy calculations. These efforts became more prominent after World War II. By the late 1980s, human rights concerns were firmly embedded in US foreign policy rhetoric, policymaking institutions, and global actions. Dietrich examines US human rights policy in the post-Cold War era.