Democratic Peace and Democratic War

Are democratic countries more peaceful than authoritarian ones? Do they wage less wars and repress their citizens less? Does democratization lead to political violence? More generally, what do we know about the relationship between political institutions, collective violence, and peace? In this session, we will discuss insights from political science research, and specifically comparative politics and international relations, on these and related questions. The session will cover dynamics associated with regime transitions; theories and studies on interstate and domestic ``democratic peace’’; scholarship on public opinion towards war in democracies; the relationship between repression and political (dis)order across regime types; how armed actors can influence elections; and how organized violence can impact democratic processes and institutions.