Author Description

Economic sanctions have become a default setting for the US government and Congress to respond to policy problems that do not require military action. As US administrations have increasingly turned to sanctions as a policy tool, they have gotten better at using it. Sanctions policy with the best chance of success is as multilateral as possible, offers credible relief when policy aims are achieved (i.e., no moving the goalposts); and is implemented in a disciplined manner. Author Daniel Fried argues that the Trump administration has gotten some sanctions steps right and has some small achievements to its credit. However, he outlines that the current administration's sanctions policy did not meet the principles outlined above.