RELIGION AND A HUMAN RIGHTS CULTURE IN AMERICA

Abstract

During the Clinton and Bush Administrations, evangelicals translated their religiously-grounded support for certain international human rights causes into a more generic humanitarian language that non-religious people could also support. Following the passage of the International Religious Freedom Act under Clinton, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act rallied a coalition of human rights groups, evangelicals, and several feminist organizations. Religio-moral persuasion continued to effect change under the Bush Administration, as evangelicals challenged U.S. foreign policy to address human rights violations in Sudan and North Korea. Overall, the strength of religio-moral persuasion depends on co-opting others rather than coercion.