Democracies at War

By: Dan Reiter, Allan C. Stam

Write A Review

Paperback | 22 April 2002

At a Glance

Paperback
304 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
23.4 x 15.2 x 232

Paperback

RRP $87.99

$70.99

19%OFF

or 4 interest-free payments of $17.75 with

Ships in 3 to 5 business days

Why do democracies win wars? This is a critical question in the study of international relations, as a traditional view--expressed most famously by Alexis de Tocqueville--has been that democracies are inferior in crafting foreign policy and fighting wars. In Democracies at War, the first major study of its kind, Dan Reiter and Allan Stam come to a very different conclusion. Democracies tend to win the wars they fight--specifically, about eighty percent of the time.

Complementing their wide-ranging case-study analysis, the authors apply innovative statistical tests and new hypotheses. In unusually clear prose, they pinpoint two reasons for democracies'' success at war. First, as elected leaders understand that losing a war can spell domestic political backlash, democracies start only those wars they are likely to win. Secondly, the emphasis on individuality within democratic societies means that their soldiers fight with greater initiative and superior leadership.

Surprisingly, Reiter and Stam find that it is neither economic muscle nor bandwagoning between democratic powers that enables democracies to win wars. They also show that, given societal consent, democracies are willing to initiate wars of empire or genocide. On the whole, they find, democracies'' dependence on public consent makes for more, rather than less, effective foreign policy. Taking a fresh approach to a question that has long merited such a study, this book yields crucial insights on security policy, the causes of war, and the interplay between domestic politics and international relations.

Industry Reviews

"Allan C. Stam, Winner in 2004, and Dan Reiter, Winner in 2002, of the Karl Deutsch Award, International Studies Association"

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $79.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.

Defective items

If there is a problem with any of the items received for your order then the Booktopia Customer Care team is ready to assist you.

For more info please visit our Help Centre.

You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Warfare & Defence Politics & Government Political Structure & Processes Political Structures & Democracy International Relations International Institutions United Nations & UN Agencies EU & European Institutions

Tables and Figures	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
Democracy's Fourth Virtue	p. 1
Democracy, War Initiation, and Victory	p. 10
Democracy and Battlefield Success	p. 58
Balancers or Bystanders? The Lack of Fraternal Democratic Assistance during War	p. 84
Winning Wars on Factory Floors? The Myth of the Democratic Arsenals of Victory	p. 114
Democracy, Consent, and the Path to War	p. 144
The Declining Advantages of Democracy: When Consent Erodes	p. 164
Why Democracies Win Wars	p. 193
Notes	p. 207
Bibliography	p. 243
Index	p. 269
Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.

Democracies at War

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

More in International Relations

The Dark Side of the Earth

How the Soviet Union Collapsed but Remained

The Book of Secrets

A Personal History of Betrayal in Red China

Introduction to International Relations

3rd Edition - Perspectives, Connections and Enduring Questions

Prisoners of Geography

Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics

Bondi Terror

The tragedy, the courage, the aftermath

The Taiwan Story

How a Small Island Will Dictate the Global Future

Nuclear War

A Scenario

Prisoners of Geography: 10-Year Anniversary Edition

Ten maps that tell you everything you need to know about global politics

The Causes of War

From 1700 to today

Goliath's Curse

The History and Future of Societal Collapse

A Very Short History of the Israel-Palestine Conflict

The Spy and the Traitor

The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War

The Art of Gathering

How We Meet and Why It Matters

The World for Sale

Money, Power and the Traders Who Barter the Earth's Resources

Becoming Bulletproof

Life Lessons from a Secret Service Agent

Kingmaker

Pamela Churchill Harriman's astonishing life of seduction, intrigue and power, from the bestselling author of A Woman of No Importance

Blackshirts and Reds

Rational Fascism and the Overthrow of Communism

The Curious Diplomat

A memoir from the frontlines of diplomacy

A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of Virginia Hall, WWII's Most Dangerous Spy

Dilly's Story

The Invention of Infinite Growth

How Economists Forgot About the Natural World

On XI Jinping

How Xi's Marxist Nationalism is Shaping China and the World

The Sword of Freedom

Israel, Mossad, and the Secret War

Covert Regime Change

America's Secret Cold War

Red Notice

How I Became Putin's No. 1 Enemy

This product is categorised by