Problem
Efforts to promote and protect human rights through international treaties meet with varying responses. Governments' records of compliance can be divided into four groups: (i) signing on to the treaties and complying with the obligations specified all or nearly all of the time, (ii) signing on to the treaties but making little effort to comply, (iii) avoiding the treaties while respecting some human rights but not others, and (iv) avoiding at least some of the treaties and committing widespread violations of certain human rights. What international system level, state level, and individual level factors influence governments' policies regarding human rights?