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International Relations Notes International Relations Notes

Democratic Peace Theory Notes

Updated Democratic Peace Theory Notes

International Relations Notes

International Relations

Approximately 39 pages

These notes cover the core topics in International Relations that are found on most undergraduate syllabi and in standard textbooks. They are primarily taken from tutorial sessions, and are thus a great complement to lectures or lecture notes. They provide concise explanations of key concepts, case studies, and examples that could be used in an IR essay or exam, as well as references to key works and newer literature to look up and use in essays and coursework.

In addition to the notes, this ...

The following is a more accessible plain text extract of the PDF sample above, taken from our International Relations Notes. Due to the challenges of extracting text from PDFs, it will have odd formatting:

Democratic Peace Theory

Important Democratic Values

Freedom of Assembly:

  • Ensures that opposing political parties can meet each other on an equal plane (i.e. no banning political parties)

  • Also allows for different types of citizen assembly such as on the on the internet: Avaaz, facebook, twitter (i.e. freedom of cyberspace)

Electoral mechanism which results in peaceful transitions:

Q: What does it do for us on the int’l and democratic peace level?

A: Can ensure…

  • Predictability

  • Continuity

Creation of an environment in which norms carry through

  • Where, for example, permanent private secretaries very rarely change (apolitical) and the civil service is strong and works long

  • Path Dependency Element (in terms of transitions)

An Independent Judiciary

  • Prescence of the Rule of law:

    • i.e. people follow through with decisions made

  • An expectation that these mechanisms can be used internationally

  • Good relationship between the civil service and army

Mechanisms

Dispute Resolution

  • States like knowing that other states have a good mechanism for dispute resolution

Mechanisms behind the democratic peace:

  • Does it have to do with democracy or liberal democracy ?

  • Perhaps the transparency of parliamentary systems has a role?

  • Creating democratic processes for a state is like ‘hoops to go through,’ that take a long time

Countries create democratic mechanisms

  • Stemming from a high commitment to democracy

  • Examples of the use of democratic mechanisms include:

    • in India -

associating symbols to candidates during voting in the face of widespread illiteracy

  • in Canada -

total media blackout (broadcasting) during federal election coverage because of its 6 time zones (Section 329 of Canada Elections Act)

On other hand, a liberal democracy view…

Zakaria: is it is not just institutions, but also values that must be taken into account

  • For example, in considering colonization, must look at how different colonizers colonized and see the historical impact

    • Could be key to figuring out why former British colonies ‘worked out bit better’

Interesting examples to look at of countries that use institutions for democracy:

  • Post-Cold...

Buy the full version of these notes or essay plans and more in our International Relations Notes.