Domestic Poliitcal Attitudes and International Behavior in Central America

中美洲的国内政治态度和国际行为

• 批准号: 0004331
• 负责人: Michael Lewis-Beck
• 金额: $ 0.98万
• 依托单位: University of Iowa
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-06-01 至 2002-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0004331&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Domestic; Poliitcal; Attitudes; International; Behavior

Political philosopher Immanuel Kant asserted that democracies are fundamentally different domestically from non-democracies. Accordingly, democracies behave differently than do other types of states in the international arena. In particular, he argued that democracies are more pacific at the dyadic and systemic level than other governmental forms. This theory is known alternatively as the "Pacific Union" and the "Democratic Peace." This project explores one component of the Kantian theory, that is, the contention that the cultural norms of citizens in democracies are favorable to increased cooperation and harmony among formerly hostile neighboring states. Since the time of Kant's initial formulation of the theory, scholars have written extensively about reasons for the existence of a Democratic Peace. Numerous authors have made four specific arguments about why democracies are more likely to cooperate with other democracies and why they do not go to war with other democracies. These arguments center on democracratic institutions that favor compromise, high levels of trade among democracies, disproportionately high levels of democratic membership in international institutions which lead to a complex interdependence, and domestic cultural norms of trust and tolerance which become internationalized. The first three sets of arguments have been tested carefully and repeatedly in the scholarly literature. However, the assertions about the connection between domestic democratic norms and international behavior have not been demonstrated robustly. This project assesses the link between domestic political cultural values of democracies and international cooperation and peace. Scholars of international relations have relied on proxy measures for domestic norms favorable to democracy and, in turn, they have argued that these same values affect international behaviors. This project directly measures both domestic political cultural values and how those values translate into feelings towards neighboring countries through scientific survey research. The research consists of surveying scientific samples of citizens of two democratizing neighboring countries to assess two groups of ideas: first, the prevalence and depth of values associated typically with democracy and, second, the degree to which democratic political culture translates into an extension of the same values to citizens of a neighboring democracy. The project is conducted in El Salvador and Honduras, two democratizing countries that have a prior history of animosity and distrust of each other. The two cases also are appropriate venues for this project in that I am fluent in Spanish and have extensive experience conducting survey research in El Salvador. If the Kantian argument regarding democratic political culture holds true, then citizens of these two Central American neighbors should express both pro-democratic responses to survey questions regarding their norms and values as well as feelings of trust and cooperation across the border. Their feelings of trust and cooperation should be stronger still regarding more established democracies, but considerably weaker toward non-democratic states. This research fills a gap in the existing literature regarding the relationship between democracy domestically and peace and cooperation internationally. By directly asking citizens about their norms and values through survey research, this projects offers an important test of the extent to which democratization contributes to changes in international attitudes and behaviors.

政治哲学家伊曼努尔·康德（Immanuel Kant）断言，民主国家在国内与非民主国家有着根本的不同。 因此，在国际竞技场上，民主国家的行为不同于其他类型的国家。 特别是，他认为民主在二元和系统层面上比其他政府形式更和平。 这一理论被称为“太平洋联盟”和“民主和平”。“这个项目探讨了康德理论的一个组成部分，即民主国家公民的文化规范有利于加强以前敌对的邻国之间的合作与和谐。自康德最初提出这一理论以来，学者们已经写了大量关于民主和平存在的原因的文章。 许多作者提出了四个具体的论点，说明为什么民主国家更有可能与其他民主国家合作，为什么它们不与其他民主国家开战。 这些论点集中在有利于妥协的民主制度，民主国家之间的高水平贸易，导致复杂相互依赖的国际机构中不成比例的高民主成员资格，以及变得国际化的信任和宽容的国内文化规范。 前三组论点已经在学术文献中经过了仔细和反复的检验。 然而，关于国内民主规范与国际行为之间的联系的主张并没有得到有力的证明。该项目评估民主国家的国内政治文化价值观与国际合作与和平之间的联系。 国际关系学者依赖代理措施来制定有利于民主的国内规范，反过来，他们认为这些价值观也会影响国际行为。 该项目通过科学调查研究，直接测量国内政治文化价值观以及这些价值观如何转化为对邻国的感情。 该研究包括调查两个民主化邻国公民的科学样本，以评估两组想法：第一，通常与民主相关的价值观的普遍性和深度，第二，民主政治文化转化为相同价值观的延伸到邻国民主国家公民的程度。该项目在萨尔瓦多萨尔瓦多和洪都拉斯进行，这两个民主化国家过去有相互仇恨和不信任的历史。 这两个案例也是这个项目的适当场所，因为我能说流利的西班牙语，并在萨尔瓦多有丰富的调查研究经验。 如果康德关于民主政治文化的论点成立，那么这两个中美洲邻国的公民应该对有关其规范和价值观的调查问题表达亲民主的回应，以及跨边界的信任和合作感。 他们的信任感和合作感应该对更成熟的民主国家更强烈，但对非民主国家则要弱得多。这项研究填补了现有文献中关于国内民主与国际和平与合作之间关系的空白。 该项目通过调查研究直接向公民询问他们的规范和价值观，对民主化在多大程度上促进国际态度和行为的变化提供了一个重要的测试。