Being Hawkish to Be Democratic

• In Event: Democracy and Foreign Policy

Abstract

How do citizens assess the democratic performance of political elites? Existing research emphasizes their partisanship or policy preferences as primary factors. This article shifts the focus to their foreign policy reputation, specifically whether they are seen as hawkish or dovish toward authoritarian foreign rivals. I contend that a hawkish reputation can be seen as effective in defending democracy and its principles, leading the public to perceive such leaders as more democratic than those with a dovish stance toward authoritarian rivals. I empirically test this argument through conjoint experiments conducted cross-nationally in the United States and South Korea.

Author

• Jungmin Han