Sanctions have been used since ancient times to try and force a government into changing its political actions without resorting to war. They are essentially economic penalties, which stop or restrict trade with a country or a group of countries. These restrictions can be placed on entire countries, specific sectors of countries’ economies, individuals or groups of people and organizations.

One of the main reasons why a country might use sanctions is to show a moral protest against an oppressive regime, as well as trying to stop them from funding terrorist attacks and other such threats that would harm their own citizens. Another reason is to show that they support or endorse a particular foreign policy like human rights, or democracy.

When it comes to economic sanctions, the results can be mixed. Some studies have found that they are very effective in bringing about policy changes, but others have shown that the success rate is much lower. The type of sanction also plays a role, as more targeted sanctions that mainly impact the wealthy citizens of a country might work better than those that target the whole population of the country.

The effectiveness of sanctions is also related to how long they are in place. Domestic groups with vested interests in maintaining the sanctions can emerge, and this can make it hard to remove them even once they are no longer effective. The Cuban sugar embargo is a famous example.