The Democratic Peace

The Democratic Peace Thesis
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The most significant breakthrough in the study of international security is the acceptance of the democratic peace thesis. The thesis refers to the absence of war between democratic states, which Jack Levy describes as the closest thing to an empirical law. The theory relies on different historical, economic, and political factors to suggest a strong predisposition against military violence between democratic states. Consequently, it challenges the validity of other political systems such as fascism, communism, authoritarianism, totalitarianism. This essay analyzes how the thesis uses strategic interests to explain peace and stability that characterize relations in liberal democracies.
Democratic peace has two aspects, structural and normative, that offer structural evidence and convincing explanations that are more logical. The structural account argues that democracies have elected officials and decision-makers that are accountable to their respective electorate. Therefore, the citizens and the government find war to be most unattractive. The government is concerned about the cost of war and the aftermath effects on the population. Citizens are more likely to vote incumbent leaders out of office if they intend to initiate a losing or unnecessary conflict.
Consequently, potential leaders in a democratic state will anticipate those electoral responses before deciding to start a war. This aspect does not assume that all leaders and citizens in democratic states hold liberal views. However, it argues that these states' democratic structures give the citizens leverage over governments' decisions.
The normative perspectives focus on shared democratic and liberal values as the reason for the peace between liberal democracies. This view suggests the democratic political culture encourages countries to pursue conflict resolutions CITATION Mou09 \l 1033 (Mousseau, 2009). Leaders in these democracies hold reasonable expectations that the other counterpart will approach a situation peacefully due to democratic alliances that have forged between two states. Therefore, this aspect shows how democracies can distinguish between ally countries and those they disagree with. Consequently, the state will respect a country that represents and looks after its citizen's interests, unlike a government that results in violence and oppression against other nations or its people. This type of perception explains why peace between nations did not hold up if one party felt that the other wone was not upholding liberal democracy. For instance, during the war of 1812, America did not consider England to be a democracy due to its Monarchy system of governmentCITATION PLA12 \l 1033 (Placek, 2012). The Confederacy also drew resistance from liberal unions because of their use of slavery leading to the American civil war.
"We can understand that there will be war and still strive for peace. We can do that — for that is the story of human progress; that is the hope of all the world; and at this moment of challenge, that must be our work here on Earth" – U.S President Barack Obama CITATION Jeh12 \l 1033 (Jehangir, 2012). Plato, a Greek citizen, also said that only ...