Why Democracies Fight Dictators

This book explores how liberal democratic elites'' perceptions of personalist adversaries--dictators--make democracies more likely to opt for military solutions than other regime types. Madison V. Schramm argues that when conflicts of interest between liberal democracies and personalist regimes arise, leaders in liberal democracies are predisposed to perceive personalist dictators as particularly threatening, and to respond with anger--an emotional response that elicits more risk acceptance and aggressive behavior. Building on research in political science, history, sociology, and psychology, Schramm provides a novel and nuanced explanation of why democracies are so prone to military conflict with personalist regimes.