POLS1201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Security Dilemma, Geopolitics, Democratic Peace Theory
Document Summary
When looking at the american decision to blockade cuba, rather than to attack. State: state/military [not convinced that an air strike would destroy all. International: russia vs america [on the edge of nuclear war] weapons in a single strike] Individual: jfk and his brother [who advised against air strikes in favour of a more peaceful resolution] Democratic peace theory [dpt: (cid:862)the (cid:272)losest thi(cid:374)g to a(cid:374) e(cid:373)pi(cid:396)i(cid:272)al la(cid:449) (cid:449)e ha(cid:448)e i(cid:374) i(cid:374)te(cid:396)(cid:374)atio(cid:374)al (cid:396)elatio(cid:374)s(cid:863), ja(cid:272)k le(cid:448)y. An automatic expectation of a peaceful resolution, that has become a part of state identity. Free press, which keeps politicians accountable and the population informed. People can question political decisions [ergo, the decision to go to war]. The slow speed of democratic decision-making: mature liberal democratic states are also more likely to have pre-knowledge of each other. Having a history of trade and common goals, means that countries are less likely to jump into conflict: alternative explanations exist however.
