Globalization, Sovereign Authority and Sovereign Control Over Economic Activity

Two of the most important areas of inquiry in contemporary international relations theory and policy involve globalization and the utility of non-military instruments of statecraft such as sanctions. Debates have centered around whether, how, and how much increased globalization has undermined sovereign autonomy and reduced the effectiveness of economic sanctions as tools of statecraft. Missing from these debates until quite recently have been analyses of the ability of states to exploit globalization and use sanctions as a means of promoting economic and security objectives. Current research suggests that states can use sanctions to exert control over individuals and firms operating outside of their national jurisdictions. This article analyzes the implications of this capability for the nature and practice of sovereign authority and sovereign control. By doing so, it seeks to expand current debates over sanctions beyond competing assessments of the factors that promote their effectiveness to include evaluations of their impact on state autonomy and power in the context of increasing globalization