When Do Imposed Economic Sanctions Work? A Critical Review of the Sanctions Effectiveness Literature

ABSTRACT

There is growing policy consensus in Washington and other Western capitals that economic sanctions are powerful tools to cope with major foreign policy crises. Are sanctions, particularly targeted sanctions, really the potent instruments optimists suggest? Under what circumstances do punitive economic measures induce policy change in sanctioned countries? To probe these queries, in this article I outline the conditions that have been identified as more likely to lead to successful sanctions outcomes in the literature. I also discuss four major shortcomings of existing scholarship. First, the sender-biased interpretation of sanctions effectiveness renders the treatment of the ‘ineffective’ cases with negative outcomes the same as those cases that induce no discernable change in target behavior. Second, the prevalent use of static data from existing sanctions databases reduces the ability of researchers to study various time-specific factors affecting the probability of sanctions success. Third, the dominant state-centric bargaining model in the literature offers limited insight into contemporary coercive measures directed at non-state actors. Fourth, the study of sanctions in isolation of other instruments that frequently accompany them, such as incentives and diplomatic pressure, leads to a partial understanding of the specific role sanctions play in shaping the outcome of key foreign policy initiatives.     

The long and winding road … to success? Unit peace operation effectiveness and its effect on mission success

Why does peacekeeping sometimes fail? How can effective peacekeepers increase the likelihood of success of a mission? The two main flaws in the current evaluations of peace operations are that they mainly rely on already concluded missions and that they make use of indicators that do not reveal micro-level dynamics. This article introduces an analytical framework relating the effectiveness of soldiers to their actual impact in their area of operation in a peace operation. The framework is called “unit peace operation effectiveness” (UPOE). Focusing on soldiers in peace operations, this article shows that: different units behave differently; emphasize different aspects of the mandate; and are effective in different ways. Ultimately, this has an actual impact on the end-state of the mission. It relies on and adapts classic security studies works to theoretically enrich the peacekeeping literature. The model is tested in an illustrative case study based on ethnographic work on French and Italian units in Afghanistan between 2008 and 2010.     

基于效能的舰艇电子对抗训练效果评估方法

摘 要：为解决舰艇电子对抗专业训练缺乏统一评估标准与方法体系等实际评估难题;采用系统分析方法结合舰艇电子对抗专业训练实际;研究提出了基于“任务要求分解”的作战效能量化指标体系构建方法、训练效果表达方法及实用评估指标体系、定量指标评估模型、评估标准等舰艇电子对抗训练效果评估方法体系;能够满足专业训练效果评估所需,对其它专业军事训练效果评估工作亦具有借鉴意义。     

基于功能树的导弹打击系统目标瞄准点选择方法

针对导弹打击系统目标的问题,建立了基于目标功能损伤度的瞄准点选择方法;在对毁伤树方法进行改进的基础上,提出了描述目标结构与工作流程的目标功能树模型,构造出体现目标整体功能下降的优化目标函数,采用模拟退火算法搜索最优解。通过算例对不同的瞄准点选择方案进行比较,发现考虑目标的功能结构特点时,得到的瞄准点明显优于其它方案。     

空军网络化指挥信息系统作战效能评估指标体系构建?

针对目前网络化指挥信息系统作战效能评估指标体系不完善、且缺乏分项指标计算方法模型等问题,从网络化作战对指挥信息系统的作战需求出发,研究构建了空军网络化指挥信息系统的作战效能评估指标体系,并提出了分项指标概念内涵和计算模型与方法,可为指挥信息系统研制提供参考和支撑,为其作战效能的客观评估提供指标体系和模型方法。     

航空兵干扰声纳浮标与反潜飞机通信的方法与效能研究

为了提高潜艇规避声纳浮标搜索的能力,提出了航空兵以压制方式干扰声纳浮标与载机之间通信的思路与需求,基于有效压制区分析结论研究了干扰兵力的配置问题,建立了干扰效能评估模型,得到了干扰机与反潜飞机、声纳浮标应当保持的位置关系等增强干扰效果的结论。所得结论表明,为增强干扰效果,干扰机应与反潜飞机、声纳浮标保持在一条直线上,并与反潜飞机保持同步运动状态;在同一干通比下,干扰机与声纳浮标间的距离越小越好;在同一距离下,干通比越大越好。该结论可为航空兵以压制干扰方式支援潜艇摆脱反潜航空兵声纳浮标搜索与跟踪提供理论支撑。     

某型火箭弹对巡航导弹毁伤概率仿真分析

通过对巡航导弹目标特性分析,论述了目标易损性和毁伤机理(包括破片战斗部对目标的击穿概率模型)。利用破片初速及存速计算模型,分析了战斗部爆破后破片速度衰减规律,并做了模拟仿真,为火箭弹战斗部设计及毁伤效能评估提供了理论依据。最后根据射弹散布规律及毁伤原理建立了毁伤模型,并以某型火箭弹为例,对毁伤概率模型进行了仿真分析。仿真结果表明:该方法为火箭弹战斗部设计和提高对巡航导弹毁伤概率提供了参考。     

网络信息体系作战效能智能化评估

未来战争是以“网络中心战”和“信息中心战”为支撑的全域联合作战,战争优势取决于基于网络信息体系的多种作战资源作战效能的高效聚合。简要分析了网络信息体系作战效能评估基本概念,总结梳理了当前网络信息体系作战效能评估方法现状,初步探讨了网络信息体系作战效能智能化评估的主要着力点与作战效能自主评估机制等,为后续网络信息体系作战效能的智能化评估实施提供借鉴。     

军事软毁伤效应综合评估与决策分析

军事打击不但可以直接毁伤敌方政治、军事目标,而且可以造成敌方社会秩序混乱、经济发展受挫、人民心理恐慌等军事软毁伤效应。军事软毁伤效应在未来信息化战争中很有可能达成显著的战略目标,因此,研究军事软毁伤效应具有重要而现实的意义。依据软毁伤理论,建立了军事软毁伤效应的综合评估指标体系,给出了一种军事软毁伤效应的综合评估模型,并设计了综合评估决策支持系统。     

基于灰色AHP方法的综合航电系统效能

针对在对综合航电系统效能进行评估的过程中经常遇到多指标度量效能的情况,提出了一种将层次分析法和灰色系统理论相结合的效能评估方法,对航空电子系统中多指标度量效能进行评估。最后,通过实例计算表明使用这种方法获得的评估结果更加客观、科学,对综合航空电子系统效能的评估具有一定的参考价值。