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History

How International Sanctions Shape Foreign Policy Outcomes

Quick fact

Despite their popularity, international sanctions have a success rate of only about 30 percent in achieving their stated goals; yet states continue to use them because they are a relatively cheap alternative to military action, and they signal resolve to both the target and the international community.

Why this is interesting

We often think of sanctions as a foreign policy 'time-out'—just a punishment that eventually makes a country behave. But what if the real story is far more complicated, with sanctions sometimes backfiring and even strengthening the regimes they target?