Researchers: Nils Petter Gleditsch, Mats Hammarström, Morten Kelstrup & Tatu Vanhanen
Although democracies in the past have participated as frequently in interstate war as other states, they rarely, if ever, fight one another and are rarely affected by civil war or other serious domestic violence. The current wave of democratization therefore holds real promise for a more peaceful world. However, this development raises the question whether democracy has to grow from the inside or whether it can be promoted – even imposed – from the outside. Also, what kind of democracy should the outside world promote with a view to achieving the strongest peacebuilding effect? This project aims at advancing the international literature in these areas by drawing on ongoing Nordic work in peace research and international relations, studying the development of Nordic democracy and reflecting on its relevance in the international promotion of democracy.
In addition to the project members, several CWP staff and associates have participated in project meetings in Oslo and Uppsala. A database for Vanhanen’s measure of democracy (1810-1998) was compiled in 1999 and has later been updated to 2000. It can be accessed from PRIO's website here.
