A Constructivist Interpretation of the Democratic Peace

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The democratic peace has attracted a lot of attention in academic literatures, but the factors driving the phenomenon require further examination since a democratic regime does not necessarily adopt a peaceful external behaviour. By employing a constructivist perspective, this book argues that democratic states do not wage war against each other because they have a common identity, constituted by liberal ideas and values. These in turn shape the perceptions of a democracy when it interacts with fellow democracies or non-democratic states in the realm of international politics, leading either to a peaceful or aggressive foreign policy. The present analysis is particularly useful to students of international relations and global politics or to those interested in foreign policy analysis and contemporary state conduct.