This book provides a novel account of the role of human rights discourse in the US foreign policy. The book analyses the US State Department’s Annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices as a means to monopolise and, more importantly, legitimise a specific framing of the human rights agenda to further US foreign policy. The US agenda’s deviation from established international human rights standards has very serious implications considering the preponderant global influence exercised by the US. Furthermore, more recently, the reports have added a separate section on "corruption" as a human rights issue. “Corruption”, a controversial concept from the outset, is understood in a narrow way as a public sector issue that largely prevails in and subverts the so-called developing and transition countries. This book shows how this recent inclusion ultimately serves the US global neoliberal imperialist agenda and becomes the hegemonic discourse in international organisations.
Author(s): Ilia Xypolia
Series: Human Rights Interventions
Edition: 1
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2022
Language: English
Commentary: TruePDF
Pages: 164
Tags: International Relations Theory; Human Rights; Imperialism; Corruption; US Foreigh Policy
Acknowledgements
Contents
Abbreviations
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 Panopticon: The Architecture and the Theatre of Human Rights
Book Outline
2 Knowledge Production and Cultural Imperialism
Human Rights and Imperialism
Cultural Hegemony and Neoliberalism
3 Human Rights and American Exceptionalism
American Exceptionalism
Historical Evolution of the Human Rights Discourse in US Foreign Policy
Jimmy Carter
Ronald Reagan
George H. W. Bush
Bill Clinton
George W. Bush
Barack Obama
Donald Trump
Joe Biden
Conclusion
4 Annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
Historical Development of the ACRs
Expansion of Coverage Worldwide
Defeating Ernest Lefever’s Nomination
Human Rights Bureau and Assistant Secretaries
Drafting Process
Evolving Structure of the Reports
Features of the Introductory Sections
Contentious Issues with Specific Countries
Israel
Iran
China
Taiwan
Brazil
Turkey and Others
Role of the ACRs
Criticisms of the ACRs
Conclusion
5 Corruption as a Human Rights Issue
Defining Corruption
Discourse on Corruption and Neoliberalism
Corruption and Human Rights
Corruption as a National Security Strategy
ACRs and Corruption
ACRs’ Frequency of Coverage of Corruption
Which Countries Appear to Be More “Corrupted” in the ACRs?
By Country Income
By Region
Transparency, Accountability, and Integrity
Reflective Dimensions
Conclusion
6 Global Political Implications: Demonising the Public Sector
Corruption as a Human Rights Issue: Impact on Policymakers
Corruption in the Sustainable Development Goals
In Lieu of Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
