Democratization Of Middle East Paper
Humanities
Many observers of international relations have argued that the spread of liberal democracy will have pacifying effects on international relations. In this context, the spread of democracy in the Middle East is seen as one possible way to finally resolve the enduring Arab-Israeli conflict peacefully. Other observers have cast doubts about such optimism, and argue that only a stable deterrent between the conflicting parties will prevent the outbreak of renewed warfare. Write a paper assessing the potential effects of democratization in the Middle East on the Arab-Israeli conflict. Will the spread of democracy in the Middle East produce an enduring and peaceful resolution to this conflict?
In formulating your answer to this question, make sure to explain the logic of your arguments and specifically address the causal logic of the democratic peace theory or alternative explanations. Support your answers with empirical examples. Do not rely on personal impressions and hunches — support every statement. One trick for making sure that you’re not writing unsupported assertions is to ask after sentence, “how do we know this?”
The case study should be between 8-10 pages in length (double spaced, Times 12-point font). It should rely upon, at least, 6 peer-reviewed academic sources, in addition to any of the class readings that you choose to use. To help you on your way, here are some of the basic texts on the Democratic Peace Theory that you could consider (keep in mind that these are far from the only articles debating the merits, or demerits, of the Democratic Peace Theory):
Owen, John M. 1994. “How Liberalism Produces Democratic Peace.” International Security 19.2: 87-125.
Russett, Bruce. 1993. Grasping the Democratic Peace: Principles for a Post-Cold War World. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Doyle, Michael W. 1983. “Kant, Liberal Legacies, and Foreign Affairs.” Philosophy & Public Affairs 12.3: 205-235.
