An Analysis Of Liberalism

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The thesis of Scott Burchill’s article, Liberalism, is that “the prospects for the elimination of war lay with the preference for democracy over aristocracy and free trade over autarky.” He adds that liberalism is contingent upon the state to uphold the rule of law and respect for human rights. The key ideas in the article support his thesis by explaining that democracies promote peace by sharing mutual democratic principles and institutions, that free trade breaks down barriers between individuals and states – uniting them into one community, and the promotion of human rights by states decreases the chance of inter-state conflict and international insecurity.
Since around 1990, the number of democracies worldwide has increase exponentially compared to autocracies within just less than 1000 globally (Appendix A). This increase in the democratic ideals and governance shows the importance democracy plays in the liberalist view of international relations and politics. Burchill outlines that democratic governance and the institutions it exhibits causes the power of the ruling parties t...

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