DEMOCRATIZATION AND WAR

The idea that democracies never fight wars against each other has beco me an axiom. While mature, stable democracies are safer, states usuall y go through a dangerous transition to democracy. Historical evidence from the last zoo years shows that in this phase, countries become mor e war-prone, not less, and they do fight wars with democratic states. This raises questions about the U.S. policy of promoting peace by prom oting democratization. Pushing Russia and China toward democracy may a ctually bring war in the short term.