Democracies avoid going to war with each other. This is one of the strongest empirical relationships in modern social science and as such has become a basic concept in international relationships - introducing democracy encourages peace. This article argues that there is little statistical evidence to support the assertion and instead suggests that lack of conflict between states can be explained by a sense of community (umma). Draws on the Pax Islamica to demonstrate that the concept of a community living in peace existed long before democracies came into being.
DEMOCRATIC PEACE THEORY INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS PAX ISLAMICA PEACE STUDIES