The power of perception: Democratic peace and enduring rivalries

What best explains the democratic peace: empirical indicators of democracy or the perception of democracy? This book examines three enduring rivalry dyads: the United States-Great Britain, France-Germany, and India-Pakistan, during the course of their respective enduring rivalries (Bennett, 1997; Diehl & Goertz, 2000). Within each of these dyads, I provide detailed case studies of two conflicts at different phases of democratization ¿ six cases in total - in order to ascertain the answers to three questions: 1) What role, if any, did the democratic character of the individual governments play in the resolution of conflict between the dyadic members? 2) What role, if any, did perception of democratization, and the capability of securitization, play in the resolution of conflict between the dyadic members? 3) What role, if any, did other competing variables play in the resolution of conflict between the dyadic members?