Jimmy Carter and Human Rights
Kirsten Sellars, 'Jimmy Carter and Human Rights' in David P. Forsythe (ed.), The Encyclopedia of Human Rights, vol. 1 (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009), pp. 247-251.
8 Pages Posted: 8 Aug 2011 Last revised: 28 May 2019
Date Written: June 1, 2009
Abstract
Jimmy Carter’s election as President of the United States in 1976 heralded a new era after the ordeals of Vietnam and Watergate. His emphasis on human rights was intended to signal a return to traditional American values, although the tension between his attempt to capture the public imagination and the need to maintain a flexible foreign policy resulted inevitably in compromise. His human rights policy has nevertheless endured, and its influence can be seen in the words and actions of all his successors.
Keywords: Jimmy Carter, human rights, US foreign Policy, Democratic Party, Soviet Union, Latin America
JEL Classification: N46, N96
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation