1. Introduction -- 2. A review of democracy, peace, and other things -- 3. A new look at international conflict and peace : four factors to consider -- 4. Research design -- 5. Accounting for militarized interstate disputes -- 6. Accounting for fatal militarized interstate disputes -- 7. A key issue of measurement : military expenditure and civil-military relations -- 8. A closer look at media openness : from institutional democracy to media openness? -- 9. The quest for peace.