When Democracies Choose War: Politics, Public Opinion, and the Marketplace of Ideas

What is going on domestically when democracies choose war? Why do some wars of choice generate political opposition while others don't? Is there an internal mechanism that constrains the behavior of democracies when it comes to war? To answer these questions, Andrew Katz explores the relationship between public support for wars of choice and democratic norms in the marketplace of ideas. With extensive empirical evidence ranging from the French war in Indochina after World War II to "Operation Iraqi Freedom," Katz provides new insights on the domestic sources of foreign policy, and especially on the role of public opinion in the decision to go to war.