Do Democracies Fight each other? Evidence from the Peloponnesian War

Abstract

Abstract The proposition that democracies rarely fight each other in the modern international system is increasingly accepted, and of great importance to theory and practice. Yet the reasons behind this phenomenon, and hence expectations as to how it may operate under other conditions, are still not well understood. This article systematically compiles information on wars and types of political systems in the world of ancient Greek city-states, and asks when and why democracies fought each other. A quantitative analysis of war-fighting patterns is inconclusive, but contextual examination of acts and perceptions as reported in ancient sources illuminates the motivations. Despite prominent exceptions, a norm against fighting other democracies was emerging and had some effect.

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