Question 1

One way to increase a sample size is to define democracy and war more loosely.

Accepted Answer

If the definitions of democracy and war are more general or vague, there may be more countries that fit into those categories, therefore increasing the sample size.

Question 2

The liberal perspective is most likely to emphasize participation in international institutions as a key variable that may explain the democratic peace.

Accepted Answer

The liberal perspective advocates for international institutions as important factors in promoting cooperation among democratic states and reducing the likelihood of war.

Question 3

The realist perspective would most likely emphasize alliances as the major independent variable in its explanation of the democratic peace.

Accepted Answer

The realist perspective emphasizes the role of power and security in international relations. Alliances are a key way for states to increase their power and security, and thus they are a major independent variable in the realist explanation of the democratic peace.

Question 4

A pair of interacting states is commonly called a ______ in statistical studies.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A pair of interacting states is commonly...

Question 5

According to the liberal perspective, democracies do not go to war with one another because they belong to the same international institutions, whose laws and practices they follow.

Accepted Answer

According to the liberal perspective, democracies tend to have common interests and values, and are more likely to resolve conflicts peacefully through international institutions and the rule of law, rather than resorting to war. Therefore, it is believed that democracies rarely go to war with one another due to their shared membership in international institutions and their commitment to their established norms and procedures.

Question 6

The argument that democracies do not go to war with one another because they share common domestic norms and institutions requires at least two states that are both democratic to hold true.

Accepted Answer

The argument states that democracies do not go to war with one another due to shared norms and institutions, but this can only hold true if at least two states are democratic.

Question 7

The liberal perspective is most likely to argue that the lack of conflict among democracies is an effect of the Cold War and the United States' post-Cold War leadership.

Accepted Answer

The liberal perspective often attributes the lack of conflict among democracies to shared democratic values and institutions, rather than the effects of the Cold War or US leadership. This is known as the democratic peace theory.

Question 8

The argument that democracies do not go to war with one another because leaders have to appeal to larger coalitions to survive politically and, therefore, choose wars only with nondemocratic countries in which democracies enjoy an advantage in mobilizing military resources is an example of an argument from the individual level of analysis.

Accepted Answer

This argument is an example of the democratic peace theory, which is typically analyzed at the systemic or international level of analysis, focusing on the nature of regimes and their interactions rather than individual decision-makers' motivations or characteristics.

Question 9

Democracies still fight frequently against nondemocracies, but they are less inclined to do so than nondemocracies are to fight among themselves.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that democracies are less likely to go to war with each other, and more likely to resolve conflicts through diplomatic means. However, democracies are not immune to going to war with nondemocracies, as history has shown.

Question 10

The argument that democracies do not go to war with one another because they share common domestic norms and institutions is an argument from the systemic process level of analysis because it tells us how they interact with one another.

Accepted Answer

The argument that democracies do not go to war with one another because they share common domestic norms and institutions is actually an argument from the domestic level of analysis, focusing on internal characteristics of states (such as political systems and norms) rather than on their interactions or the international system.

Question 11

Arguments that say that democracies are better at either balance-of-power politics or diplomacy sometimes omit an explanation of why democracies are better at those activities.

Accepted Answer

The statement correctly states that certain arguments about democracies being better at balance-of-power politics or diplomacy do not explain why they are better at those activities.

Question 12

The ______ is a theory that democratic nations, for the most part, do not go to war with one another.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The ______ is a theory that democratic...

Question 13

Scholars using rationalist methods doubt whether it is possible to identify separate dependent and independent variables and say that one variable in a correlation causes another in the case of the democratic peace.

Accepted Answer

Rationalist methods in political science, including studies on democratic peace, often involve identifying and analyzing dependent and independent variables to understand causation and correlation. The skepticism about causation is more characteristic of constructivist or interpretivist approaches, which emphasize the complexity of social phenomena and the limitations of positivist methodologies.

Question 14

The argument that democracies do not go to war with one another because they belong to the same alliances counterbalancing or fighting other alliances is said to be from the systemic structural level if the emphasis is on the relative positioning of opposing alliances within the system.

Accepted Answer

The argument that democracies do not go to war with one another because they belong to the same alliances counterbalancing or fighting other alliances is a systemic structural level argument when the emphasis is on the relative positioning of opposing alliances within the system.

Question 15

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Which two levels of analysis may apply to the argument that democracies do not go to war with one another because they belong to the same international institutions, whose laws and practices they follow?

Accepted Answer

The argument that democracies do not go to war with one another belongs to the systemic process and systemic structural levels of analysis. The systemic process level of analysis focuses on how the interactions among states can produce certain outcomes, while the systemic structural level of analysis looks at the distribution of power and resources in the international system that shape state behavior. The argument specifically focuses on how the institutions and practices of the international system can promote peace among democratic states.

Question 16

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Which two perspectives may argue that democracies do not go to war with one another because they have unique contracting or negotiating advantages that allow them to settle disputes without war?

Accepted Answer

The liberal perspective argues that democracies have institutional and normative frameworks that facilitate negotiation and peaceful dispute resolution, thus avoiding war. The identity perspective suggests that shared democratic identities and values lead to a sense of in-group belonging among democracies, which fosters peaceful interactions and conflict resolution.

Question 17

If the democratic peace theory holds true, it suggests that ______ could be eliminated through the spread of democracy.

Accepted Answer

The answer of If the democratic peace theory holds true,...

Question 18

As compared with nondemocracies, democracies tend to trade more with one another and participate more fully and aggressively in international organizations.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that democratic states are more likely to trade with each other and participate more fully in international organizations such as the United Nations and World Trade Organization.

Question 19

It is difficult to ascertain the relationship between democracy and war because the ______, or number of cases, is relatively small.

Accepted Answer

The answer of It is difficult to ascertain the relationship...

Question 20

To observe stronger and more reliable patterns among variables, analysts seek a ______ sample size.

Accepted Answer

The answer of To observe stronger and more reliable patterns...

Quiz 12: Applying Perspectives and Levels of Analysis: the Case of the Democratic Peace