War and democratic constraint : how the public influences foreign policy / Matthew A. Baum, Philip B. K. Potter.

"Why do some democracies reflect their citizens' foreign policy preferences better than others? What roles do the media, political parties, and the electoral system play in a democracy's decision to join or avoid a war? War and Democratic Constraint shows that the key to how a government determines foreign policy rests on the transmission and availability of information. Citizens successfully hold their democratic governments accountable and a distinctive foreign policy emerges when two vital institutions--a diverse and independent political opposition and a robust media--are present to make timely information accessible.Matthew Baum and Philip Potter demonstrate that there must first be a politically potent opposition that can blow the whistle when a leader missteps. This counteracts leaders' incentives to obscure and misrepresent. Second, healthy media institutions must be in place and widely accessible in order to relay information from whistle-blowers to the public. Baum and Potter explore this communication mechanism during three different phases of international conflicts: when states initiate wars, when they respond to challenges from other states, or when they join preexisting groups of actors engaged in conflicts.Examining recent wars, including those in Afghanistan and Iraq, War and Democratic Constraint links domestic politics and mass media to international relations in a brand-new way"-- Provided by publisher.

"¿Por qué algunas democracias reflejan las preferencias de la política exterior de sus ciudadanos mejor que otras ?, ¿qué papel desempeñan los medios de comunicación, los partidos políticos y el sistema electoral en la decisión de una democracia de unirse o evitar una guerra? Cómo un gobierno determina que la política exterior depende de la transmisión y disponibilidad de la información.Los ciudadanos tienen éxito con sus gobiernos democráticos responsables y una política exterior distintiva surge cuando dos instituciones vitales -una oposición política diversa e independiente y un medio de comunicación robusto- están presentes para hacer Una información oportuna y accesible.Matthew Baum y Philip Potter demuestran que primero debe haber una oposición políticamente poderosa que pueda hacer sonar el silbato cuando un líder decae.Esto contrarresta los incentivos de los líderes para oscurecer y malinterpretar.En segundo lugar, las instituciones de medios saludables deben estar en su lugar y ampliamente Accesible a fin de transmitir la información de los denunciantes al público Baum y Potter Explorar este mecanismo de comunicación durante tres fases diferentes de los conflictos internacionales: cuando los estados inician guerras, cuando responden a desafíos de otros estados, o cuando se unen a grupos preexistentes de actores involucrados en conflictos.Examinar las guerras recientes, incluyendo las de Afganistán e Irak, Guerra Y Restricción Democrática vincula la política interna y los medios de comunicación a las relaciones internacionales de una manera completamente nueva "- Proporcionado por el editor.

"Why do some democracies reflect their citizens' foreign policy preferences better than others? What roles do the media, political parties, and the electoral system play in a democracy's decision to join or avoid a war? War and Democratic Constraint shows that the key to how a government determines foreign policy rests on the transmission and availability of information. Citizens successfully hold their democratic governments accountable and a distinctive foreign policy emerges when two vital institutions--a diverse and independent political opposition and a robust media--are present to make timely information accessible.Matthew Baum and Philip Potter demonstrate that there must first be a politically potent opposition that can blow the whistle when a leader missteps. This counteracts leaders' incentives to obscure and misrepresent. Second, healthy media institutions must be in place and widely accessible in order to relay information from whistle-blowers to the public. Baum and Potter explore this communication mechanism during three different phases of international conflicts: when states initiate wars, when they respond to challenges from other states, or when they join preexisting groups of actors engaged in conflicts.Examining recent wars, including those in Afghanistan and Iraq, War and Democratic Constraint links domestic politics and mass media to international relations in a brand-new way"-- Provided by publisher.