Perils of a Democratic Peace

Perils of a Democratic Peace PDF Author: Michael A. Brookes
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781423564072
Category : Democracy
Languages : en
Pages : 211

Get Book Here

Book Description
President Clinton has declared that the promotion of democracy is the key to ensuring America's security in the post-Cold War world. This assertion is based upon an international relations theory called the "democratic peace." Expressed simply, it states that democracies are reluctant to engage one another in war; therefore, increasing the number of democracies worldwide will promote peace and, ultimately, America's security. Although it is a seductive theory, the notion of the democratic peace has many pitfalls. The goal of this thesis is to demonstrate that the democratic peace theory is not an appropriate foundation for U.S. national security strategy. First, I establish that "democracy" is not universally desirable. Instead, cultural factors, ethnic nationalism, and economics create imperatives that thwart efforts to develop democracy. Second, I cite the actions of the intelligence services of democratic states against fellow democracies - including espionage, economic espionage, and covert action - to illustrate that peace is not without peril. Ultimately, pursuit of a democratic peace may jeopardize national security because it threatens to entangle the United States in costly foreign interventions. Additionally, the false sense of security it engenders may lull the U.S. into a state of complacency from which it will be unable to recover.

Perils of a Democratic Peace

Perils of a Democratic Peace PDF Author: Michael A. Brookes
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781423564072
Category : Democracy
Languages : en
Pages : 211

Get Book Here

Book Description
President Clinton has declared that the promotion of democracy is the key to ensuring America's security in the post-Cold War world. This assertion is based upon an international relations theory called the "democratic peace." Expressed simply, it states that democracies are reluctant to engage one another in war; therefore, increasing the number of democracies worldwide will promote peace and, ultimately, America's security. Although it is a seductive theory, the notion of the democratic peace has many pitfalls. The goal of this thesis is to demonstrate that the democratic peace theory is not an appropriate foundation for U.S. national security strategy. First, I establish that "democracy" is not universally desirable. Instead, cultural factors, ethnic nationalism, and economics create imperatives that thwart efforts to develop democracy. Second, I cite the actions of the intelligence services of democratic states against fellow democracies - including espionage, economic espionage, and covert action - to illustrate that peace is not without peril. Ultimately, pursuit of a democratic peace may jeopardize national security because it threatens to entangle the United States in costly foreign interventions. Additionally, the false sense of security it engenders may lull the U.S. into a state of complacency from which it will be unable to recover.

From Dissent to Democracy

From Dissent to Democracy PDF Author: Jonathan C. Pinckney
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190097337
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 256

Get Book Here

Book Description
Peaceful protest is a strong driver for democratization across the globe. Yet, it doesn't always lead to democratic transition, as seen in the Arab Spring revolutions in Egypt or Yemen. Why do some nonviolent transitions end in democracy while others do not? In From Dissent to Democracy, Jonathan Pinckney systematically examines transitions initiated by nonviolent resistance campaigns and argues that two key factors explain whether or not democracy will follow such efforts. First, a movement must sustain high levels of social mobilization. Second, it must direct that mobilization away from revolutionary "maximalist" goals and tactics and towards support for new institutions. Pinckney tests his theory by presenting a global statistical analysis of all political transitions from 1945-2011 and three case studies from Nepal, Zambia, and Brazil. Original and empirically rigorous, this book provides new insights into the intersection of democratization and nonviolent resistance and gives actionable recommendations for how to encourage democratic transitions.

The 'Democratic Peace' proposition and democracies using military force

The 'Democratic Peace' proposition and democracies using military force PDF Author: Philipp Schweers
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
ISBN: 3640355105
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 12

Get Book Here

Book Description
Essay from the year 2009 in the subject Politics - Topic: Peace and Conflict, Security, grade: 8.0, University of Amsterdam, course: International Security, language: English, abstract: The theory of democratic peace is perhaps one of the most widely accepted propositions among international relations scholars today. A vast body of literature, from theoretical elaborations to statistical measurements, concerning liberal peace and/or democratic peace theory has been developed and has explored the proposition profoundly. While it is almost empirically proven that the probability of wars between democratic states is very low or even zero, war is obviously – while having a look on recent or current armed conflicts in which democratic states are engaged – still an option for liberal democracies with regards to disputes with non-democratic states. On a first glance this seems to be paradox. But, while having a deeper look into the scientific discussions, approaches and explanations, it seemingly becomes clear that these two parts – namely the peaceful conflict-resolution between democratic states and democracies’ use of military force – are not conflicting.

Governance for Peace

Governance for Peace PDF Author: David Cortright
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108415938
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 307

Get Book Here

Book Description
An evidence-based analysis of governance focusing on the institutional capacities and qualities that reduce the risk of armed conflict.

The Rivalry Peril

The Rivalry Peril PDF Author: Van Jackson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780300272895
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
How the U.S. policy of competition with China is detrimental to democracy, peace, and prosperity--and how a saner approach is possible For close to a decade, the U.S. government has been preoccupied with the threat of China, fearing that the country will "eat our lunch," in the words of President Biden. U.S. foreign and domestic policy has been crafted to help the country outcompete China on infrastructure, technology, and military power. Van Jackson and Michael Brenes argue that great-power competition is misguided and vastly underestimates the costs and risks that geopolitical rivalry poses to economic prosperity, the quality of democracy, and, ultimately, global stability. This in-depth assessment of the trade-offs and pitfalls of protracted competition with China reveals how such a policy exacerbates inequality, leads to xenophobia, and increases the likelihood of violence around the world. In addition, it distracts from the priority of addressing such issues as climate change while at the same time undercutting democratic pluralism and sacrificing liberty in the name of prevailing against an enemy "other." Jackson and Brenes provide an informed and urgent critique of current U.S. foreign policy and a road map toward a saner, more democratically accountable strategy of easing tension and achieving effective diplomacy.

Democracy and Security

Democracy and Security PDF Author:
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134079915
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 235

Get Book Here

Book Description


Regime Change

Regime Change PDF Author: Rein Mullerson
Publisher: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers
ISBN: 9004232303
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 256

Get Book Here

Book Description
Taking a historical and comparative perspective, the book analyses current attempts of regime change in various parts of the world, their intended and unintended consequences, as well as moral, legal and political aspects of external interference in internal processes.

The Democratic Peace and Territorial Conflict in the Twentieth Century

The Democratic Peace and Territorial Conflict in the Twentieth Century PDF Author: Paul K. Huth
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521805087
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 486

Get Book Here

Book Description
Table of contents

Resort to War

Resort to War PDF Author: Meredith Reid Sarkees
Publisher: CQ Press
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 720

Get Book Here

Book Description
This reference book analyzes more than a thousand wars waged from 1816 to 2007. It lists and categorizes all violent conflicts with 1,000 or more battle deaths and provides an insightful narrative for each struggle. It describes each encounter and highlights major patterns across eras and regions, identifying which categories of war are becoming more or less prevalent over time, and revealing the connections between the different types of war.

Liberty in Peril

Liberty in Peril PDF Author: Randall G. Holcombe
Publisher: Independent Institute
ISBN: 1598133349
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 312

Get Book Here

Book Description
When the United States was born in the revolutionary acts of 1776, Americans viewed the role of government as the protector of their individual rights. Thus, the fundamental principle underlying the new American government was liberty. Over time, the ideology of political "democracy"—the idea that the role of government is to carry out the "will of the people," as revealed through majority rule—has displaced the ethics of liberty. This displacement has eroded individual rights systematically and that history is examined in Liberty in Peril by Randall Holcombe in language accessible to anyone. The Founders intended to design a government that would preclude tyranny and protect those individual rights, and the Bill of Rights was a clear statement of those rights. They well understood that the most serious threat to human rights and liberty is government. So, the Constitution clearly outlined a limited scope for government and set forth a form of governance that would preserve individual rights. The federal government's activities during two world wars and the Great Depression greatly increased government's involvement in people's lives. By the time of Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society," the depletion of rights and the growth of the activities of political democracy was complete. By the end of the 20th Century the fundamental principle underlying the U.S. government was now political power and not liberty. Public policy was oriented toward fulfilling the majority rule with the subsequent increase in government power and scope. Holcombe argues that economic and political systems are not separate entities but are intimately intertwined. The result is a set of tensions between democracy, liberty, a market economy, and the institutions of a free society. All those interested in the evolution of American government, including historians, political scientists, economists, and legal experts, will find this book compelling and informative.