Human Rights and Democracy
Human rights and democracy in foreign policy ask how far the United States should use its influence to protect people's basic rights and support self-government abroad. The subject spans international law, diplomacy, aid, and penalties. The president, Congress, the State Department, and international courts and bodies all play parts, and people debate what to do when principle and national interest conflict.
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Topics in Human Rights and Democracy
Rights and the law
Human Rights in Foreign Policy covers how concern for rights shapes American choices, International Human Rights Law covers the treaties and courts that set standards, and Specific Human Rights Issues covers particular kinds of abuse.
All Articles on Human Rights and Democracy
Human Rights Violations Abroad Rarely Trigger U.S. Military Action. Here’s Why.
In August 2013, Syrian government forces used chemical weapons against civilians in Damascus. Barack Obama had declared this would cross a "red line" triggering…
How the US and Saudi Arabia Rebuilt Ties After the Khashoggi Killing
On November 18, 2025, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia arrived in Washington, D.C. for his first official visit to the American…
Understanding International Criminal Justice: The ICC vs. Ad Hoc Tribunals
When Slobodan Milošević, who had been Serbia's president, appeared in a courtroom in The Hague in 2001 to face charges of war crimes before…