Human Rights and U.S. Foreign Policy

Clair Apodaca (Ph.D., Purdue University, 1996) is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Virginia Tech University.

"This incisive book offers an accessible and informative history of the political machinery behind US human rights policy. In these precarious times for world politics and the United States' role in them, this is critical reading for those wanting to understand the trajectory of US human rights policy. A long and varied trajectory—sometimes cyclical and sometimes oscillating—that Apodaca carefully charts from the eras of Nixon to Trump." — Phillip M. Ayoub, Associate Professor of Diplomacy & World Affairs, Occidental College "Clair Apodaca’s new book, Human Rights and US Foreign Policy, offers an unsparing dissection of the role of human rights in U.S. foreign policy under every president from Nixon forward. Presidents of both parties come in for justified, and well documented, criticism. The book argues that presidents have employed "prevarication" -- ambiguity, secrecy, misdirection, and deceit – as a means of avoiding or even degrading human rights principles in U.S. foreign policy. It is not just a story of presidents: Apodaca carefully assesses the actions (and inactions) of Congress and the administrative agencies as well. Though her critiques of the American record are incisive, Apodaca argues in the concluding chapter that human rights, despite recent challenges, will remain an important element of U.S. foreign policy. If you care about foreign policy or human rights, read this book." — Wayne Sandholtz, John A. McCone Chair in International Relations, University of Southern California "Human Rights and US Foreign Policy: Prevarications and Evasions is a must-read for scholars of human rights and U.S. foreign policy. Clair Apodaca’s ambitious research shows the trajectory of U.S. human rights foreign policy over the past 50 years, paying particular attention to how abiding questions about human rights have persisted across issue areas, between branches of government and over nine presidential administrations. This thoughtful and highly engaging research will encourage readers to reflect on the past half-century of U.S. human rights foreign policy and contemplate the future of human rights and the U.S.’s role therein." — Courtney Hillebrecht, Samuel Clark Waugh Professor of International Relations, Associate Professor of Political Science"This comprehensive history of U.S. human rights policy "follows the money" to offer a fresh and sober analysis of the perpetual struggle between architects of national security and advocates of democratic aspirations. Apodaca's text will be a welcome guide to students of human rights, American politics, and international relations." — Alison Brysk, Mellichamp Professor of Global Governance, University of California, Santa Barbara

• 1. The Battlefield of Foreign Aid as Foreign Policy 2. U.S. Human Rights Policy during the Cold War: A Historical Overview 3. U.S. Human Rights Policy in the Post-Cold War Era: A Decade of Lost Opportunities 4. The Prevaricator in Chief: George W. Bush (2001–2009) 5. The Prevaricator of Change: Barak Obama (2009–2017) 6. A Prevaricator who old the Truth: Donald Trump (2017–) 7. The Future of U.S. Human Rights Policy