Violent Peace

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Violent Peace (Paperback)
by David R. Mares (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A brilliant synthesis of theory and historical case studies that characterized the 'violent peace'of Latin America, this book advances the study of inter-American security to a new level of sophistication. It should be required reading among senior diplomatic and military officials and university courses on inter-American relations." -- Gabriel Marcella, U.S. Army War College

Product Description

When is military force an acceptable tool of foreign policy? Why do democracies use force against each other? David R. Mares argues that the key factors influencing political leaders in all types of polities are the costs to their constituencies of using force and whether the leader can survive their displeasure if the costs exceed what they are willing to pay. Violent Peace proposes a conceptual scheme for analyzing militarized conflict and supports this framework with evidence from the history of Latin America. His model has greater explanatory power when applied to this conflict-ridden region than a model emphasizing U.S. power, levels of democracy, or the balance of power.
Mares takes conflict as a given in international relations but does not believe that large-scale violence must inevitably result, arguing that it is the management of conflict, and not necessarily its resolution, that should be the focus of students, scholars, and practitioners of international relations. Mares argues that deterrence represents the key to conflict management by directly affecting the costs of using force. Conflicts escalate to violence when leaders ignore the requisites for credible and ongoing deterrence. Successful deterrence, he suggests, lies in a strategy that combines diplomatic and military incentives, allowing competition among heterogenous states to be managed in a way that minimizes conflict and maximizes cooperation.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 398 pages
• Publisher: Columbia University Press (March 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0231111878
• ISBN-13: 978-0231111874
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches