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Ikenberry, Slaughter FT op-ed: “Democracies must work in concert”
G. John Ikenberry, the Albert G. Milbank Professor of Politics and International Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School, and WWS Dean Anne-Marie Slaughter have co-authored the op-ed “"Democracies must work in concert,”" for the July 11 edition of the Financial Times.
In the article the authors observe that advocates of the League "see it as a mechanism to legitimize the American use of force when the United Nations fails to authorize collective action, and as a vehicle to strengthen the forces of democracy in the face of rising authoritarian states, such as China and Russia." Critics of such a grouping, they note, "see it as a dangerous idea - potentially subverting the UN and creating divisions among the great powers precisely when the US should be building closer ties."
However, Ikenberry and Slaughter write, “As authors of the Princeton Project on National Security report that first proposed a 'Concert of Democracies' , we believe that both sides of this debate have failed to see the true promise and role of greater co-operation among the world’s leading democracies. The pre-eminent need today is not an exclusive club of democracies, but renewal of the world’s global architecture – the UN, Bretton Woods and the Group of Eight leading nations. It is in the context of this larger agenda that a Concert of Democracies can be helpful.”
In addition, the authors assert, “A Concert of Democracies could bring India, South Africa, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Turkey and many others to the table well before they are likely to succeed in getting there in current institutions.”
The authors emphasize that “The next American president should not begin his term by pushing for a Concert of Democracies. He should, however, consult with democracies around the world to explore support for the idea in the context of pushing for reform of existing global institutions. If such support exists, and we suggest it does, America should be willing to join with other democracies in making those institutions reflect the global distribution of power among all countries in the 21st century.”
Ikenberry and Slaughter are co-chairs of the Princeton Project on National Security (PPNS). The Project is a multi-year, bipartisan effort which convened leading U.S. security and foreign policy experts to develop a long-term national security strategy for the United States; the Project's final report was released in September 2006.
In the article the authors observe that advocates of the League "see it as a mechanism to legitimize the American use of force when the United Nations fails to authorize collective action, and as a vehicle to strengthen the forces of democracy in the face of rising authoritarian states, such as China and Russia." Critics of such a grouping, they note, "see it as a dangerous idea - potentially subverting the UN and creating divisions among the great powers precisely when the US should be building closer ties."
However, Ikenberry and Slaughter write, “As authors of the Princeton Project on National Security report that first proposed a 'Concert of Democracies' , we believe that both sides of this debate have failed to see the true promise and role of greater co-operation among the world’s leading democracies. The pre-eminent need today is not an exclusive club of democracies, but renewal of the world’s global architecture – the UN, Bretton Woods and the Group of Eight leading nations. It is in the context of this larger agenda that a Concert of Democracies can be helpful.”
In addition, the authors assert, “A Concert of Democracies could bring India, South Africa, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Turkey and many others to the table well before they are likely to succeed in getting there in current institutions.”
The authors emphasize that “The next American president should not begin his term by pushing for a Concert of Democracies. He should, however, consult with democracies around the world to explore support for the idea in the context of pushing for reform of existing global institutions. If such support exists, and we suggest it does, America should be willing to join with other democracies in making those institutions reflect the global distribution of power among all countries in the 21st century.”
Ikenberry and Slaughter are co-chairs of the Princeton Project on National Security (PPNS). The Project is a multi-year, bipartisan effort which convened leading U.S. security and foreign policy experts to develop a long-term national security strategy for the United States; the Project's final report was released in September 2006.