Human Rights in US and EU Foreign Policies

Abstract

This chapter describes US and EU approaches to the promotion of human rights and democracy, scholarly perspectives on their policies and self-perceptions, and the significance of values and norms in their respective political systems and foreign policies. Three claims stand out in this narrative. First, polling data and other sources suggest that Americans and Europeans do, in fact, share a set of fundamental beliefs and expectations about democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Second, the US and EU do far more than most other governments in this area, although both face difficulties in claiming to lead on international human rights. Third, differences in US and EU approaches have less to do with values and more to do with the transatlantic power imbalance, US military primacy, occasional economic competition, the US’s preference for unilateralism and hard-power solutions, and the agendas and personal styles of leaders.