Science and the Study of Human Rights

Shows how to turn real-word human rights practices into comparable numbers, evaluates the barriers to improvement, and ranks countries of the world.

Science and the Study of Human Rights provides a clear, teachable framework for comparing human rights practices across countries and over time and for developing theories about why some governments violate rights more than others. The book explains why the scientific method offers a powerful approach to studying human rights and shows how systematic evidence can improve research, policy analysis, and public understanding. The authors introduce a wide range of publicly available human rights indicators, with particular attention to the CIRIGHTS Data Project, which three of the authors codirect. The book also offers a concise overview of other leading measurement efforts—including Freedom House, V-Dem, the Political Terror Scale (PTS), the Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI), and SNARP—highlighting what each measures, where each excels, and where each has limitations. Designed for scholars, graduate students, governments, and intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, this book will also be valuable to students, journalists, policymakers, and activists. By promoting a comparative perspective and the use of annually updated data, Science and the Study of Human Rights helps readers better understand states' obligations and supports the broader goal envisioned by the drafters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: improving rights protection through knowledge and accountability.