Is there a hierarchy of human rights?

Abstract

People's actual experiences with human rights reveal which ones are the most prevalent in their daily lives, and thus provide a possible basis for estimating their relative importance and for adopting appropriate policies. Denials and abuses are relatively rare in the Western world, but different groups have very different experiences. The most disadvantaged groups are the members of minority races (especially blacks). Upper income groups have better experiences than the others, suburban dwellers better than urbanites or rural inhabitants, and men better than women regarding most rights. Property rights are rarely a source of either positive or negative experiences. The greatest problems result from acts in the civil society and from local abuses, not from national governments, which, however, have distinct responsibilities of their own.