POLI 244 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Security Dilemma, Authoritarianism, Economic Democracy
21 Feb 2016
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Document Summary
Democratic peace theorem: theory that democracies are far less likely to fight each other. Implications: we can overcome the constant condition of anarchy and the security dilemma. Democracies are just as likely as non democracies to go to war. However, they are far less likely to fight each other. The more democracies there are, the less war there will be. Anarchy and the security dilemma can be overcome. Peaceful interactions and conflict resolution is a learned behaviour (don"t come automatically but come overtime) Norms of cooperation and compromise can lead to harmony between former enemies. Ex: germany and japan: both become democratic and are pillars of the global economy but are no longer enemies with their former rivals. If states can learn behaviour, then we can change the world. Norms adopted domestically are also reflected in foreign policy- live and let live . The end of the cold war led to a surge in the number of democracies worldwide.
