Democratic Peace and Democracy

Democratic Peace

Stable democracies rarely, if ever, fight wars against each other

Democracy

A state where most people can vote, elections are freely contested, chief executive is chosen by popular vote or by elected parliament, and civil rights and liberties are substantially guaranteed

Republican constitution

Constitution is a free, legal equality of subjects, representative government and separation of powers 

Cosmopolitan Law

Ties international commerce and free trade

Pacific Union

Confederation established by treaty among sovereign republics

• This union could avoid war among themselves 

Normative Restraints on Conflict

Democracies extend the cultural norms of peaceful conflict resolution that operate withing their domestic systems to the international arena 

• Expectations that norms of negotiation and mutual respect common in domestic politics will carry over into their international behavior with like states 

Political constraints on conflict

Restraints imposed by political institutions in democracies on decisions to go to war 

• Ensure sufficient time for conflict-resolution processes to be effective

• Ability of the populace to hold leadership accountable at election times

• May give leaders superior ability to signal threats and commitments credibly

• Free press give transparency of intention when two democracies negotiate

Democratic Transitions and Peace

States in transition from autocratic regimes to democratic ones may be more war-prone.

• War is as equally common under transitions from democratic to autocratic regimes 

Kantian System

Democracy, trade, and intergovernmental organizations creates an international society or is sustained by these mutually supporting relationships