Cyberwarfare, Information Warfare, and Military Force: The Impact of Hybrid Warfare on the Practice of Democracy in Target States

How does the use of hybrid warfare by an enemy state impact democratic activity in the target state? Scholars have thoroughly examined the impact of warfare and violence on the practice of democracy, but the literature is silent on the emerging concept of hybrid warfare. I propose that the use of hybrid warfare by an enemy state will negatively impact democratic activity in the target state. By conducting a comparative case study of the United Sates in 2016, Estonia in 2007, the United States in 2016, and Ukraine in 2014 I examine what impact low, medium, and high level hybrid wars have on the practice of democracy. The evidence I collected indicates that there is a non-linear relationship between the use of hybrid warfare by a enemy state and democratic activity in the target state