Bruce Russett

The demise of many communist regimes and the emergence of new democracies provides the chance for increased democracy and peace among the world’s nations, Bruce Russett maintains in the following viewpoint. Russett contends that cultural and institutional restraints among democracies prevent such countries from engaging in war and foster a belief in peaceful resolution of conflict. Many nations, the author argues, are making successful transitions to democracy and can serve as models for nondemocracies. Russett is the Dean Acheson Professor of Political Science at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, and the author of Democratic Peace: Principles for a Post–Cold War World.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How many wars have been fought between democracies in the twentieth century, according to Russett?
2. In Russett’s opinion, what can a...