The Persistent Power of Human Rights: From Commitment to Compliance

'The Power of Human Rights' (published in 1999) was an innovative and influential contribution to the study of international human rights. At its center was a 'spiral model' of human rights change which described the various socialization processes through which international norms were internalized into the domestic practices of various authoritarian states during the Cold War years. 'The Persistent Power of Human Rights' builds on these insights, extending its reach and analysis. It updates our understanding of the various causal mechanisms and conditions which produce behavioural compliance, and expands the range of rights-violating actors examined to include democratic and authoritarian Great Powers, corporations, guerrilla groups, and private actors. Using a unique blend of quantitative and qualitative research and theory, this book yields not only important new academic insights but also a host of useful lessons for policy-makers and practitioners.

Thomas Risse is Professor of International Politics at the Freie Universität Berlin.

Stephen C. Ropp is Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the University of Wyoming and an Honorary Research Fellow in the School of Political Science and International Relations (SPSIS) at the University of Queensland, Australia.

Kathryn Sikkink is a Regents Professor and the McKnight Presidential Chair in Political Science at the University of Minnesota.