Rethinking the Kantian Peace: Evidence from a Liberal, Moderate, and Conservative Measure of Norm Diffusion

Abstract

Abstract This article revisits in today’s global setting the debate among international relations scholars over the so-called Kantian or democratic peace. In particular, it argues that findings made by S. M. Mitchell in a seminal 2002 article in the American Journal of Political Science regarding the diffusion of norms via third party conflict resolution relied upon a questionable methodology and now require belated revision. An alternative measure of norm diffusion would rely upon the proportion of democratic states, particularly contiguous states, in a given region. Moreover, a more detailed look at such diffusion after 1945 suggests important differences over the viability of democratic peace, especially regarding state behavior outside the Western Hemisphere.