The DOI matches its Crossref record; 37 of the 38 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Multilateral Versus Unilateral Sanctions Reconsidered: A Test Using New Data
Abstract
Policymakers frequently argue that multilateral sanctions are more likely to induce a target state to alter its behavior than are unilateral sanctions. Repeated empirical studies using the familiar Hufbauer, Schott, and Elliot data set demonstrate that unilateral sanctions “work” more often than multilateral sanctions, however. In this study, we subject three theoretical explanations for this counterintuitive finding to additional empirical testing utilizing the new Threat and Imposition of Economic Sanctions (TIES) data. Somewhat surprisingly, the analyses using these new data support the intuition of policymakers; that is, multilateral sanctions do appear to work more frequently than do unilateral sanctions. Our results do support one theoretical argument, based on spatial models, that we test. This explanation holds that whether multilateral or unilateral sanctions are more effective depends on the number of issues at stake and on whether an international institution is involved. Our analyses provide support for these hypotheses.
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“Relatedly, multilateral sanctions, especially when imposed under the auspices of an international organization, increase target costs relatively more than unilateral sanctions (Martin 1992; Bapat and Morgan 2009; Early 2021).”
From Economic Sanctions: Evolution, Consequences, and Challenges (2023) · cites this paper as Bapat and Morgan 2009
Citations
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Economic Sanctions Reconsidered
Hufbauer, G. C. (1985) · Cited by 471
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Self-citationCorda, T. (2024) · Cooperation and Conflict · doi:10.1177/00108367241298929
“Primarily, this concerned the role of unilateral as opposed to multilateral or universal senders in influencing sanctions effectiveness (Bapat and Morgan, 2009; Hufbauer et al., 2007).”
The Impact of International Sanctions on Russia: Challenges for Georgia
Pataraia, T., Kechakmadze, I., Lortkipanidze, S., et al. (2023) · Connections The Quarterly Journal · doi:10.11610/connections.22.3.05
The Economic Effect of Secondary Sanctions on Firms
Hartwell, C. A. (2024) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781009365840.004
Ruys, T., Ryngaert, C., & Silvestre, F. R. (2024) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781009365840.002
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Overview of Economic and Financial Sanctions
Dowlah, C. (2025) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781009471381.002
Supply Chain Secondary Sanctions
del Álamo, V. F., & Lim, D. J. (2025) · Law & Geoeconomics · doi:10.1163/29505720-bja00002
EU-Russia Trade Under Sanctions: An Analysis of Trade Dynamics and Intensity
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Wei, P.-Y. (2025) · International Interactions · doi:10.1080/03050629.2025.2520607
“Sanctions implemented by international organizations tend to be costlier for the targeted country and have higher probabilities of success (Bapat and Morgan 2009; Gutmann, Neuenkirch, and Neumeier 2021; Morgan, Syropoulos, and Yotov 2023) as international institutions help reduce coordination costs…”
A Price Worth Paying? Humanitarian Side-Effects of Economic Coercion, 1989 to 2015Preprint
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Can an eye for an eye turn the whole world sanctioned?
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Economic sanctions and output growth: Empirical evidence
Petrevski, G. (2026) · International Economics and Economic Policy · doi:10.1007/s10368-026-00782-z
Fiedler, R. A. (2025) · Przegląd Strategiczny · doi:10.14746/ps.2025.1.10
Rebel Sexual Violence and UN Targeted Sanctions
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Peterson, T. M., & Ai, W. (2026) · Foreign Policy Analysis · doi:10.1093/fpa/orag002
Experience open to interpretation: US presidents and economic coercion
Walentek, D. (2026) · Journal of Peace Research · doi:10.1093/jopres/xjaf032
Les sanctions économiques dans la réponse apportée à la crise nucléaire iranienne
Jeantil, M. (2023) · theses.fr (ABES) · doi:10.70675/551f25d4z7f65z43c1zb763zd5bfc8427f10
Latypov, K. M. (2026) · Vestnik Universiteta · doi:10.26425/1816-4277-2026-1-168-176
Conditional Humanitarianism: Citizen Preferences for Economic Sanctions in Democratic Sender States
Bondeli, M. E., Mares, I., & Pike, R. (2026) · Government and Opposition · doi:10.1017/gov.2026.10040
“…cooperation in sanction imposition and characteristics of the target state, have been found to affect sanction success (Bapat et al. 2013; Bapat and Morgan 2009; Dashti-Gibson et al. 1997; Drezner 2000; Early and Spice 2015; Farrell and Newman 2019; Hufbauer et al. 1990; Lektzian and…”
Unilateral compliance and sanctions leakage: evidence from Korea’s dual-use exports
Yoo, E. J. (2026) · Applied Economics Letters · doi:10.1080/13504851.2026.2708167
Mertens, C. (2026) · International Interactions · doi:10.1080/03050629.2026.2707542
State activism in Czechia: responses to the war in Ukraine
Vlčková, J., & Castro, T. D. (2026) · Post-Communist Economies · doi:10.1080/14631377.2026.2706449
Mahmoudi, P. S. (2026) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.7372007
Strategic Trade Controls as Trade-Enabling Institutions
Pryor, C., & Preble, K. (2026) · Foreign Policy Analysis · doi:10.1093/fpa/orag029
Mujana, O., & Shoko, C. T. (2026) · Journal of Central and Eastern European African Studies · doi:10.12700/jceeas.2026.6.2.487
“The existing international political economy and sanctions literature remains predominantly state-centric (Pape, 1997; Morgan et al., 2009; Bapat and Morgan, 2009), often relegating MFIs to marginal roles and obscuring their practical influence in sanctions regimes.”
Verdier, D., & Woo, B. (2009) · SSRN Electronic Journal
Metadata
- Authors
- Bapat, N. A., & Clifton Morgan, T.
- Affiliations
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
- ORCID
- Bapat, Navin A.
- Venue
- International Studies Quarterly
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2009-12
- Volume
- 53
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 1075-1094
- ISSN
- 0020-8833 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-2478
- OpenAlex
- W1994873719
- Semantic Scholar
- 8ebe480dee799f364ac684547aca743f19926fcd
- Cited by
- 230
- References
- 38
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 16.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Studies Quarterly (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Economic Sanctions and International Relations
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › International Relations and Foreign Policy
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Defense, Military, and Policy Studies
- Keywords
- economic sanctions, multilateral sanctions, unilateral sanctions, sanctions effectiveness, spatial modeling, international institutions, issue salience
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