U.S. Human Rights Policy during the Cold War

This chapter examines the evolution of U.S. human rights policy and offers a summary account of the history of U.S. human rights policy through each presidential administration prior to 9/11. The Foreign Assistance Act instructs the president to formulate military and economic assistance programs to promote human rights and to avoid identification with repressive regimes. However, during the Cold War human rights issues were overshadowed by geostrategic concerns based on the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union.