POL208Y1 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Kofi Annan, Resource Allocation, Millennium Development Goals
Document Summary
The democratic peace theory is inconsistent with realism because the theory argues that democratic nations will not go to war with each other. Realism focuses chiefly on the balance of power, alliances and military development. In theory democratic nations should be working to defend against the threat posed by the growth of development of other nation force projection capabilities. Realism deems the state as the most important actor in the international system. Democratic peace places a great degree of power in the hands of the population of democracies. Democratic peace argues that leader in democracies will not risk the loss of power which may result in from war; additionally, that populations of democratic nations must be convinced that war is necessary. This places a greater degree of importance on the population than the state as an independent stand- alone actor in the international system.
