CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2025
| Author | Iván, Dániel |
|---|---|
| Title | The Effectiveness of Sanctions: A Comparative Analysis of Sanction Cases Through the Interplay of International Cooperation and Domestic Regime Cohesion |
| Summary | This thesis addresses a central question in international political economy: Why do international sanctions succeed in some cases but fail in others? While the existing literature has analyzed both the external and internal dynamics affecting the effectiveness of sanctions, it has largely treated them in isolation from one another. This thesis argues that integrating these dynamics creates a more comprehensive explanation of sanctions outcomes. Specifically, it investigates how the interaction between the level of international cooperation and domestic regime cohesion jointly shapes the success or failure of sanctions. To explore this interplay, the thesis presents an analytical matrix that outlines the four possible outcomes of these two factors. These outcomes are analyzed through a comparative case study design, which presents the cases of Iran (2006 – 2015), Russia (2014 – 2025), Myanmar (1990 – 2015), and Venezuela (2017 – 2025). The analysis is grounded in a dual theoretical framework of Cooperation Theory and Social Conflict Analysis, to illustrate the interconnectedness of the two factors. Although the thesis is limited to only four cases, the findings demonstrate the relevance of examining the interaction between international and domestic factors to capture a more comprehensive understanding of sanctions outcome. Within this framework the results indicate that sanctions are most likely to be successful when international cooperation is high and domestic regime cohesion is low. |
| Supervisor | Izsák, Dániel |
| Department | International Relations MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2025/ivan_daniel.pdf |
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