ECONOMIC SANCTIONS REVISITED: ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS INTO WHY THEY FAIL

Economic sanctions have a poor track record in achieving their objectives. In most cases, they are ineffective in bringing about policy change, cause increased suffering in the sanctioned country and reduce opportunities for business. This paper provides additional insights into why sanctions fail by examining two overlooked factors: power-dependency theory and pressure for political stability. Copyright (c) 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation (c) Institute of Economic Affairs 2010. Published by Blackwell Publishing, Oxford.