Economic Policy and Human Rights: Holding Governments to Account

Radhika Balakrishnan and Diane Elson, editors. UK: Zed Books. This book presents a powerful critique of three decades of neoliberal economic policies, assessed from the perspective of human rights norms. In doing so, it brings together two areas of thought and action that have hitherto been separate: progressive economics concerned with promoting economic justice and human development; and human rights analysis and advocacy. Focussing on in-depth comparative case studies of the USA and Mexico the book shows that heterodox economic analysis benefits greatly from a deeper understanding of a human rights framework.