Open research questions in Economic Sanctions and International Relations
87 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,060 Economic Sanctions and International Relations papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.
What the literature leaves open
The turmoil in the oil system since 1973 has created grave conflicts within the Western alliance. The lack of coherence in Norway's foreign oil policy is a significant challenge. The country's overriding concern seems to be to avoid conflicts with its allies over a strategically highly sensitive resource.
The discrepancy between traditional Norwegian foreign policy ideals and the problems of being an oil-exporting country has not been adequately addressed. The lack of coherence in Norway's foreign oil policy is a significant gap in the country's international relations.
The lack of awareness of Western methods and their possible application to Iran among Iranians. The restriction of Western methods to the few Iranians who had travelled abroad or associated with Europeans in Iran.
The lack of understanding of how the American media covered Iran during the 1970s. The lack of understanding of the development of political events in Iran during this period.
There is a difficulty in getting internationally accepted definitions of terrorism. The effectiveness of economic sanctions as a response to terrorism is questionable.
Further research could explore the long-term implications of Holt's foreign policy for Australia's role in the region. The study suggests that future research could examine the role of personal relationships in shaping foreign policy in other contexts.
The paper identifies a gap in understanding the role of personal relationships in shaping foreign policy. The study highlights the need for further research on the implications of alliances in international relations.
The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the changing interest structures and decision-making processes in US foreign policy, - The emergence of intermestic issues requires a re-evaluation of the foreign-policy process
The lack of accurate data and transparent government policies hinders understanding of the economy. The previous regime's constrictions on critical studies limited the availability of knowledge on the subject.
Political Economy of Growth and Destruction: A Statistical Interpretation of the Iranian Case · 1979 · DOISocial and economic inequalities in Iran. The concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few individuals. The need for a more equitable distribution of income and wealth.
There is a need for a more nuanced understanding of the impact of oil on Iran's economy and social conflict. The government's economic policies have not been adequately critiqued.
There is a lack of understanding of the Soviet Union's use of proxies in the third world. The relationship between the Soviet Union and Egypt in the context of Yemen is not well studied.
The embargo was imposed in a tardy and half-hearted manner. Many UN members needed months to translate the Security Council resolutions into national legislation. The embargo was subject to an escape clause, allowing economic intercourse on humanitarian grounds.
There is a lack of thorough analysis of the fundamental prerequisites to an embargo. The effectiveness of economic sanctions as an instrument of foreign policy is unclear.
Future research should focus on testing the bureaucratic politics approach using more rigorous methodologies. Future research should also explore the applications of the approach to other areas of decision-making. Future research should aim to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing foreign policy decisions.
The paper identifies a gap in the literature on foreign policy decision-making, including the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing decisions. The paper also identifies a gap in the methodological developments in the field, including the need for more rigorous testing of the bureaucratic politics approach.
The lack of effective sanctions against breaches of international law - The weakness of international law due to the absence of a recognized system of judicial process
Book Reviews : Margaret P. Doxey. Economic Sanctions and International Enforcement. London : Oxford University Press, 1971. Paperback. Pp.x+162. Price £ 1.25 · 1975 · DOIStatesmen and scholars who have made general judgments of the nature of British imperialism have not always noted the full impact of British policies on indigenous Asian and African societies
The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the history of repression in Iran, - The struggle for liberty and freedom of expression is a constant theme
The absence of clear objectives, quantitative targets, or any sort of physical planning made it impossible to measure the results of the Second Plan in any precise manner. The appraisal of the Second Plan was limited to a comparison between the actual and planned investment expenditures.
Further study of the economic burden of Soviet involvement in the Middle East. Comparison of the economic burden of Soviet military aid to other regions. Development of more comprehensive methodologies to estimate the economic burden of military aid.
The traditional interpretation of American involvement in Iran has been challenged by revisionist historians. There is a need to reevaluate the role of the United States in Iran.
The challenge of enforcing economic sanctions is highlighted by the paper. The study notes the difficulty of achieving international cooperation on economic sanctions. The paper examines the challenge of balancing the use of economic sanctions with the need to avoid escalating conflicts.
The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the effectiveness of international economic sanctions. The study highlights the need for a closer examination of the historical events surrounding the use of economic sanctions.
The potential repercussions for Norwegian exports if the country is refused entrance to the tariff-free Western European market. The need for Norway to balance its economic and political goals in the context of EEC membership.
Most-cited papers in Economic Sanctions and International Relations
- The impact of the Ukraine–Russia war on world stock market returns · Economics Letters · 2022 · 456 citations
- The global sanctions data base · European Economic Review · 2020 · 315 citations
- The Domestic Political Costs of Economic Sanctions · Journal of Conflict Resolution · 2008 · 176 citations
- The sword and the shield: The economics of targeted sanctions · European Economic Review · 2020 · 141 citations
- Economic Sanctions: Evolution, Consequences, and Challenges · The Journal of Economic Perspectives · 2023 · 139 citations
- Do Economic Sanctions Work? Evidence from the Russia‐Ukraine Conflict · Journal of Management Studies · 2023 · 107 citations
- Worth the pain? Firms’ exporting behaviour to countries under sanctions · European Economic Review · 2021 · 96 citations
- The Russia–Ukraine war and global trade reallocations · Economics Letters · 2023 · 90 citations
- Consequences of Economic Sanctions: The State of the Art and Paths Forward · International Studies Review · 2021 · 90 citations
- Understanding economic sanctions: Interdisciplinary perspectives on theory and evidence · European Economic Review · 2021 · 89 citations
Most recent work
- Impact of International Trade Policies on the Iraq–America War (2026) · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026
- Iran war is exposing South Africa’s dependency on diesel: what went wrong · 2026
- Using LLMs for measurement in diplomatic speeches: The evolving politics of UN sanctions in Security Council debates · The Review of International Organizations · 2026
- Firm-strategic responses to the signals of economic sanctions: a study of European firms in Russia, 2014-2016 · Multinational Business Review · 2026
- Sanctions policy and transformation of global governance mechanisms: challenges for the UN · 2026
- Deconstructing the Sino-Russian Janus-Faced Approach to Unilateral Sanctions · German Law Journal · 2026
- Russian stock exchanges’ adaptation during military conflicts: A comparative historical analysis (1913—1919 and 2021—2026) · Voprosy Ekonomiki · 2026
- Dictating reality: The global battle to control the news · Critical Studies in Media Communication · 2026
- Psychosocial Tensions in Tehran؛Policy Brief (2024) · Social Welfare · 2026
- The war on Iran, the petrodollar, and US hegemony · Journal of Global Faultlines · 2026
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