INS3003 STUDY GUIDE 2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+ TIP
✔✔Liberal democracy faced two challenges in the 20th century: - ✔✔Communism &
Fascism
- Communism was still going strong in Soviet Union. It proved unworkable (hardships
for those under it)
- Fascism was strong before WWII, but because of WWII it was discredited
- Democracy won out in the cold war and there were no longer any other systems left to
compete
- Soviet Russia fell -> democracy took hold
- Fukuyama concludes that Democracy proves itself the best system because
individuals attain equality
- Fukuyama does not think that the war will cease but believes that while democracy
continues to expand, those large ideological conflicts will no longer be a threat
✔✔Another explanation for Democracy= - ✔✔Modernization Theory
- Industrialization:
Industrial Revolution revolutionized the western world & democracy sprung out of that -
born out of severe social changes
- Modernization theorists believe that modernization transformed society and in the
process destabilized the old political systems. i.e Europe (monarchies)
- Societies transformed: Economic development promotes democracy by transforming
the underlying society (the masses), which uproot the old political system. Classes
emerge that demands rights and access to the system
Industrial Revolution gave us two new classes:
In Feudal Europe, we had nobles & peasants - nobody in between.
An emergence of the bourgeoisie- the rich who own means of production. They put
pressure on the political system to gain access to the privileges of the system
Proletariat (workers, urban industries - brand new in-between class)
- Long hours, bad working conditions. Politicized join unions. Help gain rights, better
pay, safer conditions, and shorter work day pressure on old political system to gain
rights (demand say and protection)
✔✔Urbanization - ✔✔- Occurred as people began to leave the farms & local villages
behind in order to go into the cities with industries (job location)
- Congregating masses of people in prime political centers put pressure on government
and come together to represent a stronger force to make demands
- An industrial society needs to have an educated population - seek
demands/concessions from the government. Educated individuals move the country
forward
,- Most politically active groups: students - increase education people more aware and
bold, powerful force
- Modernazation theorists believe that democracy is the result of all of these changes.
✔✔Democracy prevails - ✔✔demands on system -> inclusion -> development of
democracy
✔✔Critiques of Modernization theory: - ✔✔- China is very wealthy and industrialized but
not democratic
- Some very poor countries are democratic - they were able to reach democracy without
having all of the changes the western world had
- It is considered a story of the west
- Not considered to apply to other states
✔✔Democratic stability theory: - ✔✔- We don't need wealth to get democracy, but
wealth helps stabilize democracy
- Wealth contributes to stability and a content population
- there are strong and weak democracies:
USA- Strong
Honduras- Weak (lack of wealth can lead it to not being as stable)
✔✔Criticisms of Fukuyama: - ✔✔- He believes that liberal democracy is the best form of
political ideology and that it will continue to spread as people realize this
- Criticism:
>Democracy is a western construct & it developed naturally in the western world
>It is not certain that the rest of the world will function just as the western world does
>There is a possibility that a political ideology could come about as parts of the world
develop
✔✔Democratic Peace - ✔✔1994 State of the Union address (prez. Bill Clinton) "The
best strategy to ensure our security and to build a durable peace is to support the
advance of democracy everywhere. Democracies don't attack each other. They make
better trading partners and partners in diplomacy"
✔✔3 main points: - ✔✔1. Democracies don't fight each other (core of democratic peace
theory)
- We achieve peace through democratization of the world
- Democracies less inclined towards war in general, do not seek conflict or are looking
to initiate war for the sake of war
- At the core they have a value of peace. If they do not want war than politicians do not
make war.
2. Democracy is the solution to the security dilemma
, - Solve it by democratizing the world
3. Democracies make better trading partners & partners & partners in diplomacy
- deeper economic interaction
- they feel that they can trust fellow democracies more than non-democracies (uphold
side of the bargain)
✔✔Democratic peace according to our IR perspectives - ✔✔A. identity views
- All about norms, values & ideas
- they believe democracies share the same set of values
B. Liberal views
- collective action, cooperation, maintaining the peace
- Liberals believe that democratic states are likely to have the same goals
- Rely on diplomacy (as opposed to relying on threats)
- Belief that democratization of the world is the path towards peace
C. Realist views
- Realists are proponents of democracy but do not believe democracy is a guarantee of
peace
- still focused on the state & the interests of the state
there can be threats from democratic countries
- democracies are allied together in the war against terrorism
✔✔How does democracy help prevent war? - ✔✔- Public constraints: Democratic
politicians are dependent on the public for their position.
* At the core of the democratic system, we have peace. Democratic populations tend to
be peace seeking.
- Democratic culture: the hope that democracies are more peaceful. The public desires
peace & resists war seen as unjust. Will support wars against totalitarian forces
✔✔Public constraints + Democratic culture= - ✔✔Audience costs
* Politicians have to be careful because the audience can hold them accountable for
their actions--- Could be re-elected or removed from office
*It demands our politicians to maintain commitment to democratic credibility - must
reflect values and will of the people.
*The democratic audience demands transparency domestically and of our governments
interactions with other governments
✔✔Are democracies more peaceful? - ✔✔Statistically yes, but statistics don't tell
everything
- Its a new concept, second wave of democracy didn't come until after WWII
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+ TIP
✔✔Liberal democracy faced two challenges in the 20th century: - ✔✔Communism &
Fascism
- Communism was still going strong in Soviet Union. It proved unworkable (hardships
for those under it)
- Fascism was strong before WWII, but because of WWII it was discredited
- Democracy won out in the cold war and there were no longer any other systems left to
compete
- Soviet Russia fell -> democracy took hold
- Fukuyama concludes that Democracy proves itself the best system because
individuals attain equality
- Fukuyama does not think that the war will cease but believes that while democracy
continues to expand, those large ideological conflicts will no longer be a threat
✔✔Another explanation for Democracy= - ✔✔Modernization Theory
- Industrialization:
Industrial Revolution revolutionized the western world & democracy sprung out of that -
born out of severe social changes
- Modernization theorists believe that modernization transformed society and in the
process destabilized the old political systems. i.e Europe (monarchies)
- Societies transformed: Economic development promotes democracy by transforming
the underlying society (the masses), which uproot the old political system. Classes
emerge that demands rights and access to the system
Industrial Revolution gave us two new classes:
In Feudal Europe, we had nobles & peasants - nobody in between.
An emergence of the bourgeoisie- the rich who own means of production. They put
pressure on the political system to gain access to the privileges of the system
Proletariat (workers, urban industries - brand new in-between class)
- Long hours, bad working conditions. Politicized join unions. Help gain rights, better
pay, safer conditions, and shorter work day pressure on old political system to gain
rights (demand say and protection)
✔✔Urbanization - ✔✔- Occurred as people began to leave the farms & local villages
behind in order to go into the cities with industries (job location)
- Congregating masses of people in prime political centers put pressure on government
and come together to represent a stronger force to make demands
- An industrial society needs to have an educated population - seek
demands/concessions from the government. Educated individuals move the country
forward
,- Most politically active groups: students - increase education people more aware and
bold, powerful force
- Modernazation theorists believe that democracy is the result of all of these changes.
✔✔Democracy prevails - ✔✔demands on system -> inclusion -> development of
democracy
✔✔Critiques of Modernization theory: - ✔✔- China is very wealthy and industrialized but
not democratic
- Some very poor countries are democratic - they were able to reach democracy without
having all of the changes the western world had
- It is considered a story of the west
- Not considered to apply to other states
✔✔Democratic stability theory: - ✔✔- We don't need wealth to get democracy, but
wealth helps stabilize democracy
- Wealth contributes to stability and a content population
- there are strong and weak democracies:
USA- Strong
Honduras- Weak (lack of wealth can lead it to not being as stable)
✔✔Criticisms of Fukuyama: - ✔✔- He believes that liberal democracy is the best form of
political ideology and that it will continue to spread as people realize this
- Criticism:
>Democracy is a western construct & it developed naturally in the western world
>It is not certain that the rest of the world will function just as the western world does
>There is a possibility that a political ideology could come about as parts of the world
develop
✔✔Democratic Peace - ✔✔1994 State of the Union address (prez. Bill Clinton) "The
best strategy to ensure our security and to build a durable peace is to support the
advance of democracy everywhere. Democracies don't attack each other. They make
better trading partners and partners in diplomacy"
✔✔3 main points: - ✔✔1. Democracies don't fight each other (core of democratic peace
theory)
- We achieve peace through democratization of the world
- Democracies less inclined towards war in general, do not seek conflict or are looking
to initiate war for the sake of war
- At the core they have a value of peace. If they do not want war than politicians do not
make war.
2. Democracy is the solution to the security dilemma
, - Solve it by democratizing the world
3. Democracies make better trading partners & partners & partners in diplomacy
- deeper economic interaction
- they feel that they can trust fellow democracies more than non-democracies (uphold
side of the bargain)
✔✔Democratic peace according to our IR perspectives - ✔✔A. identity views
- All about norms, values & ideas
- they believe democracies share the same set of values
B. Liberal views
- collective action, cooperation, maintaining the peace
- Liberals believe that democratic states are likely to have the same goals
- Rely on diplomacy (as opposed to relying on threats)
- Belief that democratization of the world is the path towards peace
C. Realist views
- Realists are proponents of democracy but do not believe democracy is a guarantee of
peace
- still focused on the state & the interests of the state
there can be threats from democratic countries
- democracies are allied together in the war against terrorism
✔✔How does democracy help prevent war? - ✔✔- Public constraints: Democratic
politicians are dependent on the public for their position.
* At the core of the democratic system, we have peace. Democratic populations tend to
be peace seeking.
- Democratic culture: the hope that democracies are more peaceful. The public desires
peace & resists war seen as unjust. Will support wars against totalitarian forces
✔✔Public constraints + Democratic culture= - ✔✔Audience costs
* Politicians have to be careful because the audience can hold them accountable for
their actions--- Could be re-elected or removed from office
*It demands our politicians to maintain commitment to democratic credibility - must
reflect values and will of the people.
*The democratic audience demands transparency domestically and of our governments
interactions with other governments
✔✔Are democracies more peaceful? - ✔✔Statistically yes, but statistics don't tell
everything
- Its a new concept, second wave of democracy didn't come until after WWII
