Author Description

States, Firms, and Power uncovers the workings behind frequently maligned and often misapplied economic sanctions and incentives that have emerged as the United States policy tools of choice. Shambaugh uses a theory of economic statecraft to analyze the sources and limitations of power relations between states and firms. The book features a statistical analysis of 66 sanction episodes since 1949, including detailed case studies of U.S. sanctions in the energy, computer, and telecommunications industries in the 1980s, and current U.S. sanctions against foreign companies conducting business in Cuba, Iran, and Libya. Understanding when and why economic statecraft works provides insights into the nature and exercise of power in world politics that can, in turn, guide policy-makers in their use of sanctions and incentives against friends, foes, and firms.