The Democratic Peace and Substitutability During International Crises: Institutionalized Democracy and Foreign Policy Choices

Most and Starr (1984, 1987) argue that states are not constrained to one foreign policy option when dealing with any particular problems, and that particular policy instruments can be used in a number of different contexts and in response to different internal and external stimuli. Similar causes can lead to the use of different instruments; different stimuli can lead to the use of similar instruments. As such, studies that examine single causes and single effects are likely to produce weak and inconclusive results and provide a limited understanding of the complexities of international politics. Despite encouraging a growing body of literature focused on policy substitutability, empirical evidence for policy substitution remains mixed at best.