ABSTRACT
Why do democracies go to war? Since democratic leaders are accountable to their peoples, one might expect that when a democracy goes to war, it is the case that a majority or a politically powerful minority wants war. Who are the winners within a democracy who motivate their country to fight, and who are the losers? Are the gains that motivate democracies to fight primarily material-territory or wealth-or are they intangible, psychological benefits such as pride, envy, revenge, or altruism?
