Democratization and Foreign Policy Change: The Case of the Russian Federation
Last updated: November 5, 2008
Authors
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Roger E. Kanet
Professor of International Studies, University of Miami
Emeritus Professor of Political Science, University of Illinois
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Published by Program in Arms Control, Disarmament, and International Security (ACDIS), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
ACDIS Occasional Paper series
March 1995
Full text [PDF]
Summary
The primary purpose of this study is to explore the impact of the process of democratization on the international behavior of a post-authoritarian state. Suggesting the futility of any attempt to mechanically extend the “democratic peace” argument to the countries that experience the process of post-authoritarian transition, the study holds that the spread of democratic procedures has conflicting effects on international security. Thus while admitting the long-term benefits of liberal democracy for the maintenance of international peace and cooperation, it is argued that, under the conditions of transitional crisis and in the absence of consolidated democratic institutions and liberal norms, the process of democratization makes governments more vulnerable to extremist pressures from below, thus inhibiting their ability to comply with those international interests that are at odds with the radicalized domestic preferences. Empirical evidence in support of this argument is provided through the analysis of the evolution of Soviet–Russian foreign policy.
