Criticism of democratic peace theory

Content:

Overestimation role of interdependence

Thank you for your attention

Conclusion

References:

• Drulák, Petr: Teorie mezinárodních vztahů, Praha: Portál,2003. ISBN 80-7178-725-6
• Layne, Christopher: Kant of Cant: The myth of the democratic peace. International security, 1994 The MITT Press., dostupné na: http://web.stanford.edu/class/polisci243b/readings/v0002542.pdf
• Pšeja, Pavel: Přehled teorií mezinárodních vztahů, Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2005. ISBN 80-210-3837-3, dostupné na: http://teorie.euweb.cz/teo_Pseja_-_Prehled_teorii_mvz.pdf
• Rosato, Sebastian: The Flawed Logic of Democratic Peace Theory. American Political Science Review, 2003.
• Schwartz, Thomas; Skinner, Kiron K.: The Myth of the Democratic Peace., Orbis, Foreign Policy Research Institute, 2002

• http://internationalrelations.org/democratic-peace-theory/

• economic interdependence between countries is always asymmetrical (Drulák, 2003)

• brief summary of the principal characteristics

Redefinitions:

• democratic peace theory created especially for the needs of the west
• learning from past experience
• democracies accept the same standards and values, etc..

Criticism:

• too optimistic, theories just for "good weather", overestimation role of interdependence, etc..
• historical experience, realistic point of view

...

- study The myth of the democratic peace (Schwartz & Skinner, 2002) - there have been many wars between democracies

- another authors - there may be some evidence for democratic peace but the data sample may be too small to assess any definitive conclusions

- criticism from theorists of realism (S. Rosato) - criticizes most explanations to how democracy might cause peace

Criticism

• basic characteristic

of democratic peace theory

• redefining by other authors
• points of criticism
• conclusion

Unjustified optimism

• repeating conviction that there is a progress in the reduction of violence - denied with new wars
• wrongly published as a objective reflection of reality

The overestimation of importance of the economy, technological progress and norms

• related to the underestimation of security issues and national interests
• just theories for "good weather" and only work under conditions of cooperation, but fail in terms of conflict

Overestimation role of domestic policy

• underestimation of systemic factors
• democracy like an inaccurate term - if between two democratic states arise unfriendly relations, they stop each other considered as democratic
• otherwise - democratic state which cooperates with a clearly undemocratic country will search in this country features of democracy and democratization

Underestimation of the power of the state to affect international relations

• in IR are also other actors - transnational corporations and international organizations - but their impact is minimal

Characteristic

• main author: Michael Doyle
• democracies do not fight against each other
• lack of a counterexamples (examples of armed conflict between two democratic states)

Criterions of democracy:

1. states are considered each as democratic

2. there is allow democratic exchange of organs

(Drulák, 2003)

Redefining the fundamental principles by other authors

• created especially for the needs of the US, resp. for the West
• process of the states which are learning from past experience
• democracies can trust and respect each other because they accept the same standards and values
• ready to go to war with undemocratic states - because they are neither trusted nor respected

DEMOCRATIC PEACE THEORY

CRITICISM