Stephen Rapp holds a distinguished academic background, having earned a BA with honors from Harvard University and a JD with honors from Drake University. He began his career as a lawyer in private practice before transitioning into public service as a Democratic member of the Iowa House of Representatives. Rapp's professional expertise includes significant roles in both the legislative and judicial branches, such as serving as staff director and counsel for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa. He has extensive experience in international criminal law, having led prosecutions at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Rapp was appointed ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues, where he led the State Department's Office of Global Criminal Justice. Currently, he holds senior positions at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Center, the Blavatnik School of Government, and The Hague Institute for Global Justice.

Stephen Rapp's political identity is marked by a distinctive focus on international justice and atrocity prevention, blending rigorous legal advocacy with a global perspective. His career juxtaposes traditional prosecutorial roles with diplomatic and policy-making functions, suggesting a highly localized approach to international law. Rapp's stance on war crimes and genocide reveals an unusually assertive stance, as seen in his comparison of Bashar al-Assad's crimes to those of the Nazis. His policy combinations, advocating for both robust economic sanctions and judicial accountability, indicate an ideologically agile strategy that seeks to balance immediate deterrence with long-term justice.