Question 1

Which of the following best defined inalienable rights?
A) rights that adhere to persons by virtue of being alive
B) rights that are defined according to national constitutions
C) rights that adhere to persons by virtue of citizenship
D) rights that adhere to persons by virtue of social agreement and contract

Accepted Answer

Inalienable rights are those rights that are considered inherent and universal to all individuals by virtue of being alive, not contingent upon laws, customs, or beliefs of any particular society or polity.

Question 2

When people in all countries draw on the language of human rights to name their oppression and press for change and remedy, human rights operate ______.
A) from the outside-in
B) from the inside-out
C) from the top-down
D) from the bottom-up

Accepted Answer

Human rights operate from the inside-out because they are based on the inherent dignity and worth of every human being. This means that human rights are not something that is imposed on people from the outside, but rather something that is inherent within them.

Question 3

When global human rights norms shape how people think and act at the local level, human rights operate ______.
A) from the outside-in
B) from the inside-out
C) from the top-down
D) from the bottom-up

Accepted Answer

When global human rights norms influence local behavior and thinking, it indicates an external influence shaping internal practices, which aligns with the concept of "from the outside-in."

Question 4

The modern human rights regime is ______.
A) derived from 18th-century philosophy and revolutions
B) fully dependent on states' sovereignty in governance and citizen rights
C) guided and codified from principles of major world religions
D) based on a set of declarations, laws, and dedicated institutions

Accepted Answer

The modern human rights regime is based on a set of declarations, laws, and dedicated institutions.

Question 5

Prior to World War II, the human rights regime ______.
A) was a national concern for states to protect and guarantee citizens' rights
B) was driven by the American and Russian revolutions
C) was dependent on the support and principles of major religions
D) was an academic concept derived from 18th-century philosophy

Accepted Answer

Prior to World War II, human rights were primarily seen as a matter for individual states to address, focusing on the protection and guarantee of rights for their own citizens. International concern and intervention in human rights issues were much less common than they are today.

Question 6

Which of the following was the most significant influence in bringing about the modern human rights regime?
A) entrenched practices of racism in the United States.
B) networks of colonies maintained by the United Kingdom
C) the targeted destruction of ethnic and religious groups across Europe
D) famine and economic collapse due to forced collectivization in the Soviet Union

Accepted Answer

The most significant influence in bringing about the modern human rights regime was the targeted destruction of ethnic and religious groups across Europe, notably the Holocaust during World War II, which led to the establishment of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and subsequent human rights treaties.

Question 7

The enforcement problem with human rights treaties and institutions ______.
A) lies in the overstepping of state sovereignty to force compliance with human rights standards and laws
B) lies in the assumption of supremacy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights over other treaties and documents
C) lies in the weak ability to force violators to comply with human rights standards and laws
D) lies in the tendency to lead to global tension and trouble between sovereign states

Accepted Answer

The main issue with enforcing human rights treaties and institutions is their limited capacity to compel states that violate human rights standards to comply with these norms. This is due to the principle of state sovereignty and the lack of a global enforcement mechanism with the power to enforce compliance.

Question 8

Entitlements to things like food, shelter, health, and education are examples of ______.
A) positive rights
B) negative rights
C) distributive rights
D) equal rights

Accepted Answer

Positive rights require others to provide you with either a good or service. A right to food, shelter, health, and education implies that it is someone's duty to provide these things, which aligns with the concept of positive rights.

Question 9

The right to protection of your physical integrity--for example, provisions on torture, arbitrary arrest, and slavery--is an example of ______.
A) positive rights
B) negative rights
C) distributive rights
D) equal rights

Accepted Answer

Negative rights require others to abstain from interfering with your actions. The right to protection of your physical integrity, such as from torture, arbitrary arrest, and slavery, falls under negative rights because it involves the obligation of others not to harm or interfere with your body or freedom.

Question 10

By defining and describing discrimination against minorities, for example, human rights treaties ______.
A) identify important issues
B) delimit the scope of the issue
C) establish a space for action
D) are components of global governance

Accepted Answer

Human rights treaties identify important issues by defining and describing discrimination against minorities, highlighting areas that need attention and action.

Question 11

By describing the areas in which concerns over minority discrimination may arise, for example, human rights treaties ______.
A) identify important issues
B) delimit the scope of the issue
C) establish a space for action
D) are components of global governance

Accepted Answer

The answer of By describing the areas in which concerns...

Question 12

By creating human rights institutions or supranational governing bodies to hold states accountable for their actions, human rights treaties ______.
A) identify important issues
B) delimit the scope of the issue
C) establish a space for action
D) are components of global governance

Accepted Answer

Human rights treaties establish a space for action by creating institutions or bodies that can hold states accountable for their actions.

Question 13

Which of the following describes the stage of treaty development in which representatives from different countries come together to work out an agreement on the promotion of human rights?
A) drafting and negotiation
B) signing by the executive
C) legislative ratification
D) implementation and monitoring

Accepted Answer

Drafting and negotiation is the stage where representatives from different countries come together to discuss, draft, and negotiate the terms of a treaty, including those focused on the promotion of human rights.

Question 14

Which of the following describes the stage of treaty development in which heads of government and state come together at a summit to approve a treaty?
A) drafting and negotiation
B) signing by the executive
C) legislative ratification
D) implementation and monitoring

Accepted Answer

The stage where heads of government and state come together at a summit to approve a treaty is known as "signing by the executive." This is the phase where the executive branch of a government, often represented by the president, prime minister, or monarch, formally signs the treaty to indicate their country's intention to comply with its terms, pending legislative ratification.

Question 15

Which of the following describes the stage of treaty development in the United States, in which a treaty is put before both houses of the U.S. Congress for approval?
A) drafting and negotiation
B) signing by the executive
C) legislative ratification
D) implementation and monitoring

Accepted Answer

The stage of treaty development in the United States where a treaty is put before both houses of the U.S. Congress for approval is known as legislative ratification. This is a necessary step for the treaty to become legally binding in the U.S.

Question 16

Which of the following describes the stage of treaty development in which a treaty committee is formed (e.g., by the UN) to ensure compliance?
A) drafting and negotiation
B) signing by the executive
C) legislative ratification
D) implementation and monitoring

Accepted Answer

Implementation and monitoring is the stage where a treaty committee is often formed to ensure that the parties involved are complying with the terms of the treaty.

Question 17

To what does American exceptionalism refer?
A) the record of human rights in the United States
B) the idea that the United States is equal to other countries
C) the superiority of American values and norms
D) the idea that the United States should not subject itself to global governance

Accepted Answer

The answer of To what does American exceptionalism refer?
A) the...

Question 18

Should there be a claim over human rights abuses in a country, which of the following can the UN Human Rights Council dispatch to investigate and collect evidence of these claims?
A) Special Rapporteurs
B) Commissions of Inquiry
C) Advisory Committees
D) High Commissioner for Human Rights

Accepted Answer

The answer of Should there be a claim over human...

Question 19

Through which body or actors does the UN Human Rights Council monitor, document, and promote specific human rights issues?
A) Special Rapporteurs
B) Commissions of Inquiry
C) Advisory Committees
D) High Commissioner for Human Rights

Accepted Answer

The answer of Through which body or actors does the...

Question 20

The primary role of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is to ______.
A) monitor, document, and promote specific human rights issues
B) document and report on specific human rights issues
C) monitor, document, and promote all human rights on a global scale
D) investigate, document, and adjudicate on human rights issues on a global scale

Accepted Answer

The primary role of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is to monitor, document, and promote all human rights on a global scale, encompassing a broad mandate to address and advocate for the full spectrum of human rights.

Quiz 8: Human Rights: The Challenge of Setting and Enforcing Global Norms

Which of the following best defined inalienable rights?

When people in all countries draw on the language of human rights to name their oppression and press for change and remedy, human rights operate ______.

When global human rights norms shape how people think and act at the local level, human rights operate ______.

The modern human rights regime is ______.

Prior to World War II, the human rights regime ______.

Which of the following was the most significant influence in bringing about the modern human rights regime?

The enforcement problem with human rights treaties and institutions ______.

Entitlements to things like food, shelter, health, and education are examples of ______.

The right to protection of your physical integrity--for example, provisions on torture, arbitrary arrest, and slavery--is an example of ______.

By defining and describing discrimination against minorities, for example, human rights treaties ______.

By describing the areas in which concerns over minority discrimination may arise, for example, human rights treaties ______.

By creating human rights institutions or supranational governing bodies to hold states accountable for their actions, human rights treaties ______.

Which of the following describes the stage of treaty development in which representatives from different countries come together to work out an agreement on the promotion of human rights?

Which of the following describes the stage of treaty development in which heads of government and state come together at a summit to approve a treaty?

Which of the following describes the stage of treaty development in the United States, in which a treaty is put before both houses of the U.S. Congress for approval?

Which of the following describes the stage of treaty development in which a treaty committee is formed (e.g., by the UN) to ensure compliance?

To what does American exceptionalism refer?

Should there be a claim over human rights abuses in a country, which of the following can the UN Human Rights Council dispatch to investigate and collect evidence of these claims?

Through which body or actors does the UN Human Rights Council monitor, document, and promote specific human rights issues?

The primary role of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is to ______.