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Economic Sanctions: A Political, Economic, and Normative Analysis



Author(s)

Rachael Gosnell

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DOI:10.17265/2328-2134/2018.03.002

The use of economic sanctions as a foreign policy tool dates back to the Megarian decree of 432 BC, but has long been controversial. Economic sanctions are commonly employed by governments as a coercive tool to adjust the behavior of a state actor that is in violation of international behavior norms, yet there remains concern as to the effectiveness of applying economic sanctions and the extent to which sanctions should be applied. Further questions arise regarding both the viability and morality of sanctions. This paper will examine case studies to determine the moral, economic, and political impact of imposing sanctions on state actors. In doing so, this paper will specifically examine the economic sanctions applied to South Africa, Iran, and Crimea. It will examine the application of sanctions and the effectiveness in achieving established foreign policy goals, while also analyzing the impact on innocents to determine the ethical implications of sanctions.

economic sanctions, foreign policy, normative analysis, economic foreign policy tools