In War's Wake: International Conflict and the Fate of Liberal Democracy

War has diverse and seemingly contradictory effects on liberal democratic institutions and processes. It has led democracies to abandon their principles, expanding executive authority and restricting civil liberties, but it has also prompted the development of representative parliamentary institutions. It has undercut socioeconomic reform, but it has also laid the basis for the modern welfare state. This landmark volume brings together distinguished political scientists, historians, and sociologists to explore the impact of war on liberal democracy - a subject far less studied than the causes of war but hardly less important. Three questions drive the analysis: How does war shape the transition to and durability of democracy? How does war influence democratic contestation? How does war transform democratic participation? Employing a wide range of methods, this volume assesses what follows in the wake of war. It is an urgent question for scholars, and even more for citizens, especially in our anxious post-9/11 age.

Author: Elizabeth Kier
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 06/30/2010
Pages: 328
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.10w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9780521157704

About the Author
Kier, Elizabeth: - Elizabeth Kier is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Washington. She is the author of Imagining War: French and British Military Doctrine between the Wars.Krebs, Ronald R.: - Ronald R. Krebs is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Minnesota. His most recent book is Fighting for Rights: Military Service and the Politics of Citizenship.