by Ivan Eland

About the author: Ivan Eland is a national security affairs analyst with the Congressional Budget Office.

When one nation imposes sanctions on another, it often does so because it has few other policy options. The target nation usually has committed an unacceptable act and pressure is building—particularly in a democratic state— to “do something.” As the pressure becomes more intense, the government of the sanctioning nation feels an acute need to respond.

The Goals of Sanctions

The sanctioning government may also feel pressure from the international community to punish the target nation, to uphold international norms, to demonstrate solidarity with allied nations or with internal opposition in the target nation, or to deter worse behavior by demonstrating the will to escalate to a stronger response.

The sanctioning...