Theoretical and methodological aspects of the Western sanctions policy research

Abstract

The sanctions issue is one of the most urgent and acute topics on the international agenda. However, despite huge attention from the academic community, it is sluggishly inscribed in the broader theoretical layer of the science of international relations. In this study, an attempt is made to outline the theoretical and methodological framework for the study of the sanctions agenda from a new angle – from the point of view of the constructivist concept of “normative entrepreneurship”. The model proposed by the authors for understanding the promotion of the sanctions initiative in unfriendly countries consists of three fundamental elements: maintaining information noise on sanctions issues, feeding a constant discussion about the effectiveness of sanctions policy and lobbying for individual sanctions initiatives. The team of authors believes that their model, due to its institutional formation, can be extrapolated not only to Russia, but also to China, as well as other countries against which the United States, the EU and their partners are pursuing a sanctions policy.