Human Rights and Legal Judgments: The American Story

Human rights can be defined as the basic fundamental rights inherent to all human beings in any society. How these rights are made available and protected in individual countries is an area of much study and debate. Focusing on the significance of human rights in American law and politics, this book seeks to understand when, where, and how American law recognizes and responds to claims made in the name of human rights. How are they used by social movements as they advance rights claims? When are human rights claims accommodated and resisted? Do particular kinds of human rights claims have greater resonance domestically than others? What cultural and psychological factors impede the development of a human rights culture in the United States? This is an exciting and engaging volume that will appeal to a broad range of scholars, practitioners, and students interested in the study of human rights.

• Explores the relevance of human rights to American law and politics
• Takes up the domestic life of human rights, and questions whether America offers 'an example at home' in the realm of human rights
• Argues that, while the language of human rights may be universal, its reality in the United States is not clearly defined