This book investigates the methodology for measuring and evaluating state compliance with international social and economic rights obligations. The authors, Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, Susan Randolph, and Terra Lawson-Remer, utilize their expertise in development economics and human rights law to propose the SERF (Social and Economic Rights Fulfillment) Index. They argue that states can be held accountable for their performance in fulfilling rights such as health, education, and housing by comparing their actual outcomes against their available economic resources.

Experts recognize this work as a significant contribution to the field of human rights measurement and quantitative policy analysis. Readers frequently note the technical density of the prose, which is intended for scholars and practitioners in development and international law.