The Unsettled Relationship of Economic and Social Rights and the West: A Response to Whelan and Donnelly

This article responds to Daniel Whelan and Jack Donnelly’s argument challenging narratives about Western opposition to economic and social rights. Their narrative on the foundational role of Western elites in creating economic and social rights does not sufficiently demonstrate the centrality of economic and social rights. Their argument lacks a clear explanation of how postwar elite commitments relate to broader Western domestic normative acceptance. I draw on international norms and legal theory to show how the domestic political context of the United States, labor rights, the welfare state, and other international institutions provide evidence against their claims.