Reliable partners: how democracies have made a separate peace

Abstract

The argument in a nutshell -- Is there really peace among democracies? -- A contracting theory of the democratic peace and its alternatives -- Why democratic bargains are reliable : constitutions, open politics, and the electorate -- Leadership succession as a cause of war : the structural advantage of democracies -- Extending the argument : implications of secure contracting among constitutional democracies -- Conclusion: reliable partners and reliable peace