| ID | 085126 |
| Title Proper | Democracy and nuclear arms control-destiny or ambiguity? |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Becker, Una ; Muller, Harald |
| Publication | 2008. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Is there a particularly democratic way of dealing with nuclear arms control? Against the background of democratic peace (DP) theory, and using Immanuel Kant's writing as a starting point, this article argues that democracies should indeed develop a preference for arms control, but that Liberalism as well as the nature of nuclear weapons opens the possibility for contingent developments within a DP framework. While DP theory can thus account for the existence of variance, we maintain that a social constructivist complement based on role, identity, and enemy perception can best explain why a given democracy follows a specific path. Case studies of six Western democracies reveal a considerable variance in their nuclear arms control policies, which can indeed be traced back to the countries' respective roles, identities, and images of the Kantian "unjust enemy." |
| `In' analytical Note | Security Studies Vol. 17, No. 4; Oct-Dec 2008: p810-854 |
| Journal Source | Security Studies Vol. 17, No. 4; Oct-Dec 2008: p810-854 |
| Key Words | Democracy ; Nuclear Arms Control ; Arms Control Policy ; International Environment |