This book offers a unique combination of quantitative and qualitative research arguing for the persistent power of human rights norms.

Part I. Introduction and Stock-Taking: 1. Introduction and overview Thomas Risse and Stephen C. Ropp; 2. The power of human rights a decade after: from euphoria to contestation? Anja Jetschke and Andrea Liese; 3. From ratification to compliance: quantitative evidence on the spiral model Beth A. Simmons; Part II. Conceptual and Methodological Issues: 4. Human rights in areas of limited statehood: the new agenda Tanja A. Börzel and Thomas Risse; 5. The 'compliance gap' and the efficacy of international human rights institutions Xinyuan Dai; 6. Social mechanisms to promote international human rights: complementary or contradictory? Ryan Goodman and Derek Jinks; Part III. From Ratification to Compliance: States Revisited: 7. The normative context of human rights criticism: treaty ratification and UN mechanisms Ann Marie Clark; 8. The United States and torture: does the spiral model work? Kathryn Sikkink; 9. Resisting the power of human rights: the People's Republic of China Katrin Kinzelbach; 10. The 'Arab Spring' and the spiral model: Tunisia and Morocco Vera van Hüllen; Part IV. From Commitment to Compliance: Companies, Rebel, Individuals: 11. Encouraging greater compliance: local networks and the United Nations Global Compact Wagaki Mwangi, Lothar Rieth and Hans Peter Schmitz; 12. Business and human rights: how corporate norm violators become norm entrepreneurs Nicole Deitelhoff and Klaus Dieter Wolf; 13. Taming of the warlords: commitment and compliance by armed opposition groups in civil wars Hyeran Jo and Katherine Bryant; 14. Changing hearts and minds: sexual politics and human rights Alison Brysk; 15. Conclusions Thomas Risse and Kathryn Sikkink.