Is it possible to force other states to be free by imposing democracy on them during military interventions? This article analyzes the histori cal relationship between U.S. military intervention and the democratiza tion of target states from 1898-1992 using the Polity III data set to meas ure democracy It argues that U.S. military intervention in and of itself does not have a positive impact on democracy Active support for “free and fair” elections during those military interventions, however, has often had a profound and positive impact on the democratization of target states. The relationship between American-sponsored elections and democracy remains positive and statistically significant when interven tion cases are compared with states that have not experienced U.S. mili tary intervention in multivariate models controlling for the prior demo cratic experience and war participation of target states and American opposition to the government of the target state.
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