Speaker: Craig Jackson, Professor of Law at Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University.
Topics Covered: Democracy, war-making in democracies, tendency of democracies to engage in war compared to authoritarian regimes, and conflicts between democracies.
Topics Discussed
1. What is Democracy?
Definition: Broadly, 'government by the people' but varies in form.
Types of Democracies:
Pure Participatory Democracy: Citizens directly participate in law and policymaking. Works best at local levels (e.g., New England town hall, Greek city-state).
Representative Democracy (Liberal Democracy): People elect policymakers. Participation is structured through elected representatives (e.g., US government).
Note: Not an exhaustive list of democracies.
2. War Making in a Democracy
Varies by Country: Each democracy has its own constitutional war-making structure.
Examples:
United Kingdom: War-making is a monarchical prerogative but requires government recommendation; parliamentary debate is customary, not required.
United States: Clear constitutional structure, but practical application is complex.
War Definition: Full-scale vs. military action (e.g., bombing, drone attacks).
Congressional Role: Full Congress approval needed for war declaration.
Authorization to Use Military Force: An alternative to a declaration, used in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Presidential Powers: President may act without Congress in case of sudden attacks, but this blurs democratic decision-making.
Political Question Doctrine: Limits judicial review of war powers.
3. Are Democracies More Prone to War?
Study (2018): Democracies more prone to war than authoritarian regimes (Caltech & Texas A&M).
Reasons:
Audience/Constituency Costs: Democratic leaders face electoral pressure during conflicts.
Crisis Management: Democracies may be less likely to back down but also less likely to initiate conflicts.
Terrorism: Data less definitive regarding terrorism's impact.
4. Do Democracies Go to War Against Each Other?
Democratic Peace Theory: Suggests transparency and accountability reduce conflict likelihood.
Complexity: Different self-identified democracies and theories complicate measurement.
Historical Examples: Rare conflicts between democracies, limited research on non-Western societies.
Conclusion
Summary: War and democracy is a complex topic with numerous theories and examples.
Acknowledgement: The topic is vast, and the lecture offers a brief overview.
Engagement: Opportunity to discuss issues for the Houston Area Urban League.