Consequences of economic sanctions on minority groups in the sanctioned states

Abstract

This study explores the effects of economic sanctions on vulnerable groups within target states. When a state uses economic sanctions to realize its foreign policy goals, the government in the sanctioned state usually pursues harsh domestic policies against its ethnic minority groups by employing rally around the flag effect policies. Resultant domestic policies work by casting members of minority groups as traitors and then scapegoating them as the cause underlying the sanctions. Many cases have resulted in the mistreatment and death of innocent people due to the target state governments' counter-sanctions policies at the domestic level. In this paper, I analyze the negative effects of economic sanctions on minority groups with a focus on the economic, political, and social discrimination of minority groups within sanctioned states. I argue that comprehensive sanctions are more harmful than targeted sanctions on the minority groups in sanctioned states. By using panel data and logit regression models, I demonstrate that economic sanctions cause target states to enact policies that are discriminatory against members of minority groups. This study contributes to the literature by identifying the effects of comprehensive and targeted sanctions on minority groups in terms of political, economic, and societal dimensions.