The right to health is difficult to define because the phrase itself does not clearly identify what “health” is or what it should include, despite health being one of the most vital human rights. Human rights are the rights people receive simply because they are human, yet they are not experienced equally in practice. Beginning with the political economy, this research considers how political and economic systems shape access to basic needs and determine whether those needs are treated as rights, responsibilities, or products. It then builds a human rights foundation by examining how rights are defined, how they depend on one another, and how the right to health is connected to broader conditions of well-being. After exploring the meaning of the right to health, the study examines how the right developed through international human rights documents and sources of law. It also considers the role of the United States in shaping these frameworks and asks whether its domestic actions reflect the principles it has supported internationally. The analysis then turns to how the conditions connected to health can become shaped by profit, access, and economic position. Through a qualitative legal and policy analysis, this study examines the United States’ interpretation and implementation of the right to health. By focusing on economic distribution, inequality, insurance companies, and other barriers, it asks whether the United States treats the right to health as a universal human right or as a conditional right shaped by resources, profit, and social position. 

During the rain season, Modesto experiences flooding. However, it seems that the Westside neighborhoods seem to experience much more street flooding and flooding from the Tuolumne River. Previous research has shown that vulnerable populations, such as racial minorities and those in a lower socioeconomic class, are exposed to a higher flood risk. Using archival data of Modesto’s previous flooding can help us understand if this is simply a coincidence or the effect of a history of discrimination and neglect. This archival data would include maps, newspapers, news reports, and numerical data collected by the City of Modesto. We would also interview older residents of Westside about their experiences with flooding and document where street flooding occurred throughout the city. If the data supports the hypothesis, then this study would document the possible occurrences of racial discrimination, environmental injustice, and neighborhoods neglect that the City of Modesto Westside neighborhoods face. These issues could also possibly reflect a larger issue in California’s Central Valley.