Introduction
After the war: The political economy of exporting democracy is written by Coyne. This book is an analysis of geopolitical trends and the development of different political movements and practices. Despite the name of this book starting with “war,” Coyne actually focuses on the issue of democracy and why the United States has not succeeded in exporting its political values. The author reviews the many war conflicts that the state has been involved in, such as in Iraq or Japan, to answer this question. Coyne (2006) argues that one should adopt an economic perspective, which allows one to understand the motives of human behavior, to understand why the success of democratic expansion has been mixed. Moreover, in his book, the author warns about the threat from the states that are perceived as weak since they do not practice democracy. In total, there are eight chapters in this book, which disclose the different cases of the US deploying troops to different states, the official reasoning for these events, and the outcomes. This paper will summarize the eight chapters of After war: The political economy of exporting democracy.
Main body
In the first chapter Coyne (2006) addresses whether the promotion of democratic values is possible through violence and force. The reason for this is that the United States has used the excuse of protecting democracy when interfering in the internal affairs of different states. Despite this noble declaration, the number of states that have adhered to the democratic principles after this is low, with Japan and Germany being the most notable examples. The author begins by assessing the case of the USS Maine exploding near the Cuna’s coastline during the growing tensions between Cuba and Spain. Although these tensions were the official cause of the US’s interference, Coyne (2006) also cites the economic interests of America as a case that needs further review. After interfering in Cuban affairs, the United States continues to use the Platt Amendment to justify the deployment of troops to other states. At the end of the chapter, the author offers non-intervention and support for free trade as alternative approaches to the promotion of democracy. Thus, the first chapter briefly outlines the first instances when the United States choose a military intervention with the justification of promoting democracy.
Next, in the second chapter, Coyne (2006) discusses how the knowledge of economics can be applied to politics and understanding human behavior. According to these principles, individuals adjust their goals considering the constraints by using the means available to them. Moreover, Coyne (2006) proceeds to discuss the different actors involved in the pursuit of goals and the variations between them. For example, he states that in the American interventions, the state is the primary actor, and its goal is to support liberal values. However, there is also the army where each individual has their own goals and methods of pursuit. For example, the soldiers may decide to return home (Coyne, 2006). The author also discusses Coase’s theorems’ conditions for making an optimal decision while arguing that its applicability in real-life conditions is questionable.
The third chapter begins with a reflection on the conditions in Germany after WWII. Notably, Coyne (2006) mentions that the US expected the remaining German military forces to form a resistance and continue to fight a guerrilla war. However, this did not happen, and one explanation for the lack of such resistance is the change within German society. The citizens cooperated to ensure that the warfare did not continue and supported the peace, which is what held off the potential resistance even before the United States created a constabulary force in Germany. Hence, the societal conditions in Germany and not America’s interference ensured that no war actions continued after WWII.
In the fourth chapter, Coyne (2006) contrasts the case of Japan with that of Germany. General McArthur was in charge of rebuilding Japan after war actions, and he had executive and legislative power to issue laws and direct the process. With this, he controlled the new policies and addressed the gaps in the existing ones to ensure that the Japanese legal system supports democratic values. This contrasts with Germany’s case, where the society served as a natural barrier and supported democracy. Next, over the course of the fifth chapter, the author offers an in-depth comparison between Japan and Germany. Coyne (2006) uses the examples of these two states and their reconstruction process as the benchmarks for comparison with other states. For one, the agreement between the Japanese government and the Allies implies full surrender and the establishment of democratic institutions under supervision. Hence, the author offers an in-depth review of the success that America’s efforts had in Japan and Germany.
In chapter six, Coyne (2006) examines the examples of Somalia and Haiti, the cases of unsuccessful attempts to promote democracy. Somalia, in particular, is a good example of failure since Coyne (2006) argues that democracy went against the traditions and social values of this state. Patriarchy and social networks were of utmost importance for the Somalians, which is why the Western types of democracy could not survive in this state. Chapter seven is dedicated to the cases of Afghanistan and Iraq, which the author perceives as failures and cases of unnecessary warfare. In this section, Coyne (2006) argues that the state should have never engaged in these conflicts and states that the only viable option is the unilateral withdrawal of military forces.
Finally, in the eighth chapter, Coyne concludes by arguing that democracy and liberal values should be promoted using liberal methods and not warfare. This chapter is a summary of all recommendations the author developed based on the numerous case studies he presents in this book. Hence, by using historical context and economic theory, Coyne (2006) concludes that the United States’ involvement in other states’ affairs with the goal of promoting democracy should be limited. Although there are several successful case studies, their success is facilitated by the historical and social contexts, and the risks demonstrated by failures are too serious. The promotion of liberal values is possible only in states that share the same value system and have some preliminary democratic institutions in place.
Conclusion
In summary, this paper is a chapter by chapter summary of After war: The political economy of exporting democracy. Coyne (2006) offers a different viewpoint on the US’s attempts to support democracy in foreign countries. He reviews examples of Cuba, Haiti, Somalia, Iran, and Afghanistan to argue that apart from political reasoning, there are also economic benefits that the US Presidents considered when making their decisions to deploy troops. However, the United States has had success in helping Japan and Germany build and sustain democracy.
Reference
Coyne, C. J. (2006). After war: The political economy of exporting democracy. Stanford University Press.