In Search of a Morally Pragmatic Foreign Policy: The Carter Administration’s Human Rights Policy

The Carter Administration sought to change the traditional logic of US foreign policy by promoting human rights abroad. The Administration intended to make human rights a central tenet of US foreign policy while simultaneously protecting American national interests abroad. This paper assesses the development of the Carter Administration’s human rights policy throughout its term in office. It also seeks to illustrate the difficulties the Administration encountered in reconciling moral and more pragmatic issues in the development of its foreign policy.