Constructing Multivariate Analyses (of Dangerous Dyads)

Most multivariate models aimed at evaluating the impact of democracy on interstate conflict contain a set of control variables sufficiently large to have a confusing impact. Partly for that reason, the potentially confounding impacts of such variables as wealth, political stability, and political similarity on the relationship of democracy to conflict have still not been evaluated in a definitive manner. In other cases, multivariate models contain intervening variables that are likely to produce misleading results. Multivariate analyses aimed specifically at uncovering spurious relationships in a more straightforward and incremental manner are better able to produce clear and informative results.