The story of human rights in U.S. foreign policy is one of perpetual tension and resistance, of interpretation and reinterpretation. This on-line course explores the nature of this dynamic process, exposing the way in which it involves both acceptance of and resistance to human rights. The course is divided into seven learning modules: The first two modules provide historical and conceptual context, while the next two modules discuss both the “hard” and “soft” instruments in the human rights foreign policy toolbox. The final three modules examine in greater depth the human rights foreign policy approaches adopted by the current U.S. administration, with special attention to changes in policy and practice post-September 11th and post-Iraq invasion.