The Persistent Power of Human Rights
From Commitment to Compliance

This book offers a unique combination of quantitative and qualitative research arguing for the persistent power of human rights norms.

Thomas Risse (Edited by), Stephen C. Ropp (Edited by), Kathryn Sikkink (Edited by)

9781107609365, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 7 March 2013

374 pages, 12 b/w illus. 15 tables
22.6 x 15 x 2 cm, 0.59 kg

'The Persistent Power of Human Rights shows the persistent imagination of a group of scholars who developed the spiral model more than a decade ago. The revisited version is as significant for our understanding of social norms as the 1999 book was - a must for students of human rights.' Michael Zürn, Director at the WZB and Professor of International Relations, Freie Universität Berlin

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.

Part I. Introduction and Stock-Taking: 1. Introduction and overview Thomas Risse and Stephen C. Ropp
2. The power of human rights a decade after: from euphoria to contestation? Anja Jetschke and Andrea Liese
3. From ratification to compliance: quantitative evidence on the spiral model Beth A. Simmons
Part II. Conceptual and Methodological Issues: 4. Human rights in areas of limited statehood: the new agenda Tanja A. Börzel and Thomas Risse
5. The 'compliance gap' and the efficacy of international human rights institutions Xinyuan Dai
6. Social mechanisms to promote international human rights: complementary or contradictory? Ryan Goodman and Derek Jinks
Part III. From Ratification to Compliance: States Revisited: 7. The normative context of human rights criticism: treaty ratification and UN mechanisms Ann Marie Clark
8. The United States and torture: does the spiral model work? Kathryn Sikkink
9. Resisting the power of human rights: the People's Republic of China Katrin Kinzelbach
10. The 'Arab Spring' and the spiral model: Tunisia and Morocco Vera van Hüllen
Part IV. From Commitment to Compliance: Companies, Rebel, Individuals: 11. Encouraging greater compliance: local networks and the United Nations Global Compact Wagaki Mwangi, Lothar Rieth and Hans Peter Schmitz
12. Business and human rights: how corporate norm violators become norm entrepreneurs Nicole Deitelhoff and Klaus Dieter Wolf
13. Taming of the warlords: commitment and compliance by armed opposition groups in civil wars Hyeran Jo and Katherine Bryant
14. Changing hearts and minds: sexual politics and human rights Alison Brysk
15. Conclusions Thomas Risse and Kathryn Sikkink.

Subject Areas: Human rights [JPVH], International institutions [JPSN], International relations [JPS]