International Conflict Flashcards
What are theories of war?
Must explain both war and peace
Must also explain multiple wars
What are the levels of analysis?
Individual
Domestic
Interstate
Global
What is the individual theory of war?
Leaders are sometimes irrational (miscalculate costs and benefits) or risk-acceptant
What is the domestic theory of war?
Institutional explanation for the democratic peace
Diversionary war theory
What is the interstate theory of war?
Normative explanation for the democratic peace
Incomplete information about relative military capacities
What is the global theory of war?
Shift in the offense/defense strategy
Mobility technology favors the offense
Firepower technology favors the defense
What are the characteristics of a democracy?
Right to vote
Competitive elections
Checks and balances
Protection of civil and human rights
Free press
Civilian control of democracy
What is the democratic peace theory?
Democracies don’t fight other democracies
Democracies do fight autocracies
Autocracies do fight other autocracies
What is the normative explanation for the democratic peace theory?
Democracies have norms of peaceful conflict resolution leading them to negotiate before they try to fight
What is the institutional explanation for the democratic peace theory?
A democratic system with checks and balances and the need to maintain support from citizens makes it hard for the chief executive to declare war
How do democracies and autocracies differ?
Importance of public opinion
The extent of institutionalized constraints on the executive
The time required for political mobilization & decision making
What is a diversionary use of forces?
Leaders can resort to political use of force to sway the public opinion from domestic troubles
