Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T22:54:32.840Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Bargaining, Enforcement, and Multilateral Sanctions: When Is Cooperation Counterproductive?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2003

Daniel W. Drezner
Get access

Abstract

Scholars and policymakers generally assume that multilateral cooperation is a necessary condition for economic sanctions to be of any use. However, previous statistical tests of this assumption have shown that sanctions are more successful with lower levels of cooperation. This puzzle calls into question established theories of economic statecraft as well as theories of international cooperation. In this article I test possible explanations for the ineffectiveness of multilateral cooperation on sanctions events using James Fearon's (1998) breakdown of cooperation into bargaining and enforcement phases as a framework for discussion The empirical results show that when multilateral economic sanctions fail, their failure is due to enforcement, not bargaining problems Without the support of an international organization, cooperating states backslide from promises of cooperation Backsliding occurs because of domestic political pressures and uncertainty about the intentions of the other sanctioning countries; backsliding causes an initial burst of cooperative behavior to decay over time. Without institutional support, cooperation is worse than useless—it is counterproductive. This result suggests that international cooperation is a more fragile equilibrium than previously thought but undercuts realist arguments that international organizations are unimportant.

Type
Articles
Information
International Organization , Volume 54 , Issue 1 , Winter 2000 , pp. 73 - 102
Copyright
Copyright © The IO Foundation 2000

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abbott, Kenneth W., and Snidal, Duncan. 1998. Why States Act Through Formal International Organizations. Journal of Conflict Resolution 42 (1): 3–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Axelrod, Robert. 1984. The Evolution of Cooperation. New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Axelrod, Robert, and Keohane, Robert O.. 1986. Achieving Cooperation Under Anarchy: Strategies and Institutions. In Cooperation Under Anarchy, edited by Oye, Kenneth A., 226–54. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baldwin, David A. 1985. Economic Statecraft. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Barber, James. 1979. Economic Sanctions as a Policy Instrument. International Affairs 55 (3): 367–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bayard, Thomas O., Pelzman, Joseph, and Perez-Lopez, Jorge. 1983. Stakes and Risks in Economic Sanctions. World Economy 6 (1): 73–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bonetti, Shane. 1997. The Analysis and Interpretation of Economic Sanctions. Journal of Economic Studies 24 (5): 324–48.Google Scholar
Bruce, Bueno de Mesquita, Morrow, James D., and Zorick, Ethan. 1997. Capabilities, Perception, and Escalation. American Political Science Review 91 (1): 15–28.Google Scholar
Bull, Hedley. 1977. The Anarchical Society: A Study of Order in World Politics. New York: Columbia University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chayes, Abram, and Chayes, Antonia Handler. 1995. The New Sovereignty Compliance with International Regulatory Agreements. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Clawson, Patrick. 1998. Iran. In Economic Sanctions and American Diplomacy, edited by Haass, Richard N., 85–106. New York: Council on Foreign Relations.Google Scholar
Cortright, David, and Lopez, George A., eds. 1995. Economic Sanctions: Panacea or Peacebuilding in a Post–Cold War World? Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press.Google Scholar
Doxey, Margaret P. 1980. Economic Sanctions and International Enforcement. 2d ed. London: Mac-Millan.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Doxey, Margaret P. 1987. International Sanctions in Contemporary Perspective. New York: St. Martin's Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Drezner, Daniel. 1998. Conflict Expectations and the Paradox of Economic Coercion. International Studies Quarterly 42 (4): 709–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Drezner, Daniel. 1999a. The Sanctions Paradox: Economic Statecraft and International Relations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Drezner, Daniel. 1999b. The Interaction of International and Domestic Institutions. Paper presented at the Conference on International Institutions, Domestic Politics, and Transnational Bargaining, University of Colorado, Boulder, June.Google Scholar
Elliott, Kimberly Ann, and Uimonen, Peter P.. 1993. The Effectiveness of Economic Sanctions with Application to the Case of Iraq. Japan and the World Economy 5 (4): 403–409.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fearon, James D.. 1998. Bargaining, Enforcement, and International Cooperation. International Organization 52 (2): 269–305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finnemore, Martha. 1996. National Interests in International Society. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Galtung, Johan. 1967. On The Effects of International Economic Sanctions: Examples from the Case of Rhodesia. World Politics 19 (3): 378–416.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gardner, Grant W., and Kimbrough, Kent P.. 1990. The Economics of Country-specific Tariffs. International Economic Review. 31 (3): 575–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garrett, Geoffrey, and Weingast, Barry R. 1993. Ideas, Interests, and Institutions: Constructing the European Community's Internal Market. In Ideas and Foreign Policy, edited by Goldstein, Judith and Keohane, Robert O., 173–206. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press.Google Scholar
Gilpin, Robert. 1984. Structural Constraints on Economic Leverage: Market-Type Systems. In Strategic Dimensions of Economic Behavior, edited by McCormick, Gordon H. and Bissell, Richard E., 105–28. New York: Praeger.Google Scholar
Goertz, Gary, and Paul F., Diehl. 1993. Enduring Rivalries: Theoretical Constructs and Empirical Patterns. International Studies Quarterly 37 (2): 147–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Judith, Goldstein. 1996. International Law and Domestic Institutions: Reconciling North American “Unfair” Trade Laws. International Organization 50 (4): 541–64.Google Scholar
Haass, Richard, ed. 1998. Economic Sanctions and American Diplomacy. New York: Council on Foreign Relations.Google Scholar
Hendrickson, David C. 1994. The Democratist Crusade: Intervention, Economic Sanctions, and Engagement. World Policy Journal 11 (4): 18–30.Google Scholar
Hufbauer, Gary Clyde, Schott, Jeffrey J., and Ann Elliott, Kimberly. 1990. Economic Sanctions Reconsidered: History and Current Policy. 2d ed. Washington, D.C.: Institute for International Economics.Google Scholar
Hufbauer, Gary Clyde, Ann Elliott, Kimberly, Cyrus, Tess, and Winston, Elizabeth. 1997. U.S. Economic Sanctions: Their Impact on Trade, Jobs, and Wages. Working paper. Washington, D.C.: Institute for International Economics.Google Scholar
Huth, Paul K. 1996. Standing Your Ground: Territorial Disputes and International Conflict. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
International Monetary Fund. Various years. Direction of Trade Annual. Washington, D.C.: IMF.Google Scholar
Jentleson, Bruce W. 1986. Pipeline Politics: The Complex Political Economy of East West Energy Trade. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaempfer, William, and Lowenberg, Anton. 1999. Unilateral Versus Multilateral International Sanctions: A Public Choice Perspective. International Studies Quarterly 43 (1): 37–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keohane, Robert O. 1989. International Institutions and State Power. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press.Google Scholar
Keohane, Robert O., and Martin, Lisa L.. 1995. The Promise of Institutionalist Theory. International Security 20 (1): 39–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Klotz, Audie. 1995. Norms in International Relations: The Struggle Against Apartheid. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press.Google Scholar
Klotz, Audie. 1996. Norms and Sanctions: Lessons from the Socialization of South Africa. Review of International Studies 22 (2): 173–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krasner, Stephen D. 1983. Regimes and the Limits of Realism: Regimes as Autonomous Variables. In International Regimes, edited by Krasner, Stephen D., 355–68. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press.Google Scholar
Krasner, Stephen D 1991 Global Communications and National Power Life on the Pareto Frontier World Politics 43 (3) 336–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kreps, David M. 1990. Corporate Culture and Economic Theory. In Perspectives on Positive Political Economy, edited by Alt, James E. and Shepsle, Kenneth A., 90–143. New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lam, San Ling. 1990. Economic Sanctions and the Success of Foreign Policy Goals: A Critical Evaluation. Japan and the World Economy 2 (3): 239–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lind, Jennifer M. 1997. Gambling with Globalism Japanese Financial Flows to North Korea and the Sanctions Policy Option. The Pacific Review 10 (3): 391–406.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mansfield, Edward D. 1994. Alliances, Preferential Trading Arrangements, and Sanctions. Journal of International Affairs 48 (1): 119–39.Google Scholar
Mansfield, Edward D. 1995. International Institutions and Economic Sanctions. World Politics 47 (4): 575–605.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, Lisa L. 1992. Coercive Cooperation: Explaining Multilateral Economic Sanctions. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, Lisa L. 1993. The Rational State Choice of Multilateralism. In Multilateralism Matters, edited by Ruggie, John Gerard, 91–121. New York: Columbia University Press.Google Scholar
Martin, Lisa L., and Laurenti, Jeffrey. 1997. The United Nations and Economic Sanctions. New York: UNA-USA.Google Scholar
Martin, Lisa L., and Simmons, Beth A.. 1998. Theories and Empirical Studies of International Institutions. International Organization 52 (4): 729–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mastanduno, Michael. 1992. Economic Containment: COCOM and the Politics of East West Trade. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press.Google Scholar
Mayall, James. 1984. The Sanctions Problem in International Economic Relations: Reflections in the Light of Recent Experience. International Affairs 60 (4): 631–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mearsheimer, John. 1994. The False Promise of International Institutions. International Security 19 (3): 5–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Milgrom, Paul R., North, Douglass C., and Weingast, Barry R.. 1991. The Role of Institutions in the Revival of Trade: The Law Merchant, Private Judges, and the Champagne Fairs. Economics and Politics 2 (1): 1–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morgan, T. Clifton, and Schwebach, Valerie L.. 1997. Fools Suffer Gladly: The Use of Economic Sanctions in International Crises. International Studies Quarterly 41 (1): 27–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morrow, James. 1994. Modeling the Forms of International Cooperation: Distribution Versus Information. International Organization 48 (3): 387–423.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olson, Mancur. 1965. The Logic of Collective Action. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paarlberg, Robert L. 1987. The 1980–81 U.S. Grain Embargo: Consequences for the Participants. In The Utility of International Economic Sanctions, edited by Leyton-Brown, David, 185–206. London: Croon Helm.Google Scholar
Pape, Robert. 1997. Why Economic Sanctions Do Not Work. International Security 22 (2): 90–136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ruggie, John Gerard. 1993. Multilateralism: The Anatomy of an Institution. In Multilateralism Matters, edited by Ruggie, John Gerard, 3–48. New York: Columbia University Press.Google Scholar
Schelling, Thomas. 1960. The Strategy of Conflict. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Schweller, Randall, and Priess, David. 1997. A Tale of Two Realisms: Expanding the Institutions Debate. Mershon International Studies Review 41 (1): 1–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simmons, Beth. 1995. Who Adjusts? Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Snidal, Duncan. 1985. The Limits of Hegemonic Stability Theory. International Organization 39 (4): 579–614.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
van Bergeijk, Peter A. G. 1994. Economic Diplomacy, Trade, and Commercial Policy. Brookfield, Vt.: Edward Elgar.Google Scholar
Vasquez, John A. 1993. The War Puzzle. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woodward, Susan L. 1995. The Use of Sanctions in Former Yugoslavia: Misunderstanding Political Realities. In Economic Sanctions: Panacea or Peacebuilding in a Post–Cold War World?, edited by Cortright, David and Lopez, George A., 141–51. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press.Google Scholar