THE DEMOCRATIC PEACE IN THE THEORY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

The article focuses on the analysis of the theory of democratic peace - one of the most popular and influential ideas in international relations. The theory argues that democracies do not go to war against other democracies, but resolve existing contradictions peacefully. A world, in which there are as many as possible democratic states, is a peaceful world. Thus, the theory encourages and supports democratization in the world, a policy pursued by both the great Western powers and international organizations. Meanwhile, some researchers are critical of the theory of democratic peace and talk about its crisis.