Human rights are generally understood to fall into two categories. The first category, civil and political rights, includes freedom of expression, freedom to participate in government, and equality before the law. The second category of rights encompasses economic, social, and cultural freedoms, such as the right to work, the freedom to participate in cultural life, and the right to an adequate standard of living. Although American commentators have disagreed on the relative importance
of each set of rights, political and civil rights are generally understood to take precedence over economic, social, and cultural rights. This belief may be due to the  fact that Western nations tend to emphasize civil and political freedoms. For instance, the U.S. Constitution and its amendments contain paragraphs detailing the frequency of elections and establishing rights such as freedom of speech and trial by jury...