In addition, democratic states facilitate free flows of information, which allow leaders to make more accurate assessments about their prospects for victory. Before a democratic leader makes a decision to go to war, he or she has been informed by vigorous debates within his or her own government and in the broader public. These debates weigh the available options and the associated costs and benefits. Autocratic leaders, on the other hand, do not benefit from hearing all sides of an argument. They tend to be surrounded by “yes men” who tell the dictator what he wants to hear.
