Democratic peace theory
Democratic peace theory posits that democratic nations are less likely to engage in armed conflict with each other. This theory suggests that if more countries embraced democracy, the incidence of war could decline significantly. It categorizes the rationale behind this phenomenon into structural theories, which focus on the limitations of democratic governance, and normative theories, which emphasize the values and norms inherent in democratic societies. Historical roots of the theory can be traced back to philosopher Immanuel Kant, who theorized that democracies would inherently seek peace. Researchers have extensively studied the theory, often citing empirical evidence that democracies do tend to avoid conflict with one another, although definitions of democracy can vary, leading to disputes among scholars. Critics challenge the theory's validity, arguing that historical evidence is insufficient and that the concept of democracy itself is relatively new. Furthermore, some assert that other factors, such as economic wealth and political stability, may also play significant roles in maintaining peace. The theory is interconnected with capitalist peace theory, which asserts that capitalist nations similarly avoid conflicts with one another. Overall, democratic peace theory remains a significant and debated topic in political science and international relations.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Democratic peace theory
The Democratic peace theory is the idea that countries that have adopted democracy as their form of government do not typically engage in armed conflict with other democratic countries. The theory proposes that if more democracies existed in the world, then war would be discouraged. The theory also posits that if all nations had a democratic core, then war would be eliminated. The democratic peace theory can be divided into two types of theories: structural and normative. Structural theories credit democratic peace to the limitations of a democratic government. Normative theories credit democratic peace to the ideas that are rooted in the democratic structure of government. The theory has critics who cite various reasons for why the theory is flawed. They claim that the definitions included in the theory are subjective, not enough historical evidence exists to make the theory valid, and the idea of democracy is relatively new.
Brief History
The groundwork for the democratic peace theory is rooted in German philosopher Immanuel Kant's 1795 essay "Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch." In this essay, Kant proposes a peace theory that nations could put in place to end wars. The essay outlines six preliminary articles and three definitive articles that countries could follow or adopt as philosophies to promote peace. The six preliminary articles include rules such as for standing armies, incurring debt, and entering peace treaties. The three definitive articles collectively state that if all countries had democratic governments founded in republicanism, it would discourage and eventually end war.
Thomas Paine, a political theorist, also made claims related to these when he published "Common Sense" in 1776. In the pamphlet, he stated that kings may wage war because of pride, but if republics were in the same situation, they would not choose to go to war.
US President Woodrow Wilson reiterated the theory that global democracy could contribute to a structure for global peace in 1917. He used this argument as a reason for the United States to enter World War I (1914–1918). The theory was further studied in the decades that followed. In the 1980s, college professor Michael Doyle wrote about liberal peace in "Kant, Liberal Legacies and Foreign Affairs." The theory gained even more traction in the 1990s, when political scientist Francis Fukuyama studied it and wrote the essay and later book, The End of History and the Last Man, which integrated the idea of the democratic peace theory with his political and philosophical concept of the end of history.
Overview
The concept of the democratic peace theory is rooted in various studies that, through statistical evidence, prove that democracies are less likely to go to war with one another. Many researchers have published works about the democratic peace theory, and it became a well-established research field. Many studies recognize the theory as an empirical fact. An empirical fact is based on the concept that studies and numbers prove it. One of the biggest factors in these studies is the definition of democracy. Many of the studies define democracy differently, which is one issue that critics have with the democratic peace theory.
Just because most statisticians agree that democracies fight one another less, does not mean that they agree about the reasons why this phenomenon occurs. Some people who study the theory feel that democracies are peaceful because of the democratic norms that the country adopts. One example of this is the idea that democratic leaders are more prone to attempt to negotiate or compromise when a conflict begins. Bruce Russett, a professor at Princeton University, is a proponent of this idea. He studied the democratic peace theory and wrote an influential paper about it in 1993. He believes that democratic culture affects the way that leaders manage conflicts and strife. He also believes that the cultural norm of democracies not fighting one another made the democratic culture stronger, enticing more countries to become democratic. Democracies are more likely to form alliances with other democracies, and these alliances tend to last longer. Essentially, democracies are peaceful toward one another because they have an established trust. They believe that other democracies will behave rationally and sensibly. On the other hand, democratic states may be suspicious of nondemocratic states that may not behave rationally.
Others who study this theory feel that democracies are peaceful because of the limitations of the structure of democratic governments. For instance, because democracy gives influence to those most likely to be killed in wars, democracy would be inclined toward peace so citizens would not have to fight. Most studies concerning the democratic peace theory center on the parties involved in the conflicts and discount who started the conflict. Some researchers have disagreed, however. They claim that studying how conflicts start does not have much significance because data about conflict initiation is limited and unreliable.
In other studies, researchers suggest that alternative causes for peace exist. Some of these include geographic distance, economic wealth, and political stability. Oftentimes, various reasons for peace are found based on different studies, data, methodologies, and variables.
Even though most statisticians and political science experts believe that the democratic peace policy is an empirical fact, some experts criticize the theory. They claim that democracies have not existed long enough to prove the democratic peace theory. Critics also point to the various ways democracy is defined in these studies. They feel that defining this key term and others is essential to a study about the democratic peace theory. The democratic peace theory is related to the capitalist peace theory, which states that countries that adopt capitalism as the crux of their economy will not get into disputes with other capitalist countries.
Bibliography
Doyle, Michael W. "Liberal Internationalism: Peace, War and Democracy." Nobelprize, www.nobelprize.org/prizes/themes/liberal-internationalism-peace-war-and-democracy. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Doyle, Michael. "Why They Don’t Fight." Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2024, www.foreignaffairs.com/world/why-they-dont-fight-doyle. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Ferejohn, John, and Frances McCall Rosenbluth. Forged through Fire: War, Peace, and the Democratic Bargain. Liveright, 2016.
Ish-Shalom, Piki. Democratic Peace: A Political Biography. U of Michigan P, 2015.
Kant, Immanuel. "Toward Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch." Early Modern Texts, www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/kant1795‗1.pdf. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Longley, Robert. "What Is the Democratic Peace Theory? Definition and Examples." ThoughtCo., 2 Jan. 2022, www.thoughtco.com/democratic-peace-theory-4769410. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Mello, Patrick A. Democratic Participation in Armed Conflict: Military Involvement in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Palgrave Macmillan, 2014.
Owen, John M. “How Liberalism Produces Democratic Peace.” International Security, vol. 19, no. 2, 1994, pp. 87–125, doi.org/10.2307/2539197. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Russett, Bruce, and John O'Neal. Triangulating Peace: Democracy, Interdependence, and International Organizations. W. W. Norton, 2000.