The book  portrays the role of human rights concerns in US foreign policy during the 1980s, focusing on the struggle among the Reagan administration and members of Congress. It furthermore demonstrates how congressional pressure led the administration to reconsider its approach to human rights and craft a conservative human rights policy centred on democracy promotion and anti-communism – a decision which would have profound implications for American attention to human rights. Tracing the motivations behind human rights activism, this book showcases how liberals, moderates, and conservatives selectively invoked human rights to further their agendas, ultimately contributing to the establishment of human rights as a core moral language in US foreign policy.