The primary learning objective of this course will be to understand human rights laws and mechanisms as they relate to critical human rights issues in the United States. Key human rights questions will be addressed, starting with “What are human rights?” and “Are they enforceable?” We will begin with the historical development of the UN human rights regime and role of the United States in creation of the founding legal documents such as the International Bill of Human Rights. We will examine two types of human rights-the traditional civil and political rights, along with economic and social rights with specific examples of right-based issues in the US, such as, cross-border migration, women’s rights, poverty, and right to health.