The European Union has since the end of the Cold War frequently used coercive measures in international politics. Most observers, however, continue to believe that the European Union picks the easy cases and that the sanctions are generally not effective. This article examines the onset and impact of economic sanctions that aim at democratizing a target state simultaneously. Using a treatment effect model, the analysis demonstrates that targeted measures by the EU are more effective than commonly perceived, but that it also cherry-picks the cases where it wants to become effective to some extent.
The paper is based on a research project funded by the German Research Foundation that will start in 2016.
