Do sanction types affect the duration of economic sanctions? The case of foreign aid

What effect does the type of economic sanctions have on sanctions duration? Despite extensive research about their effect on sanctions success, little is known about how sanction types affect the duration of sanctions episodes. I argue that, among different types of economic sanctions, terminating foreign aid to target states (foreign aid sanctions) expedites target capitulation, because it imposes disproportionate costs on elites and crucial regime supporters. However, I also contend that the effect of foreign aid sanctions is rendered indistinguishable from other types of economic coercion over time, as target governments adjust to the adverse impacts of sanctions. The empirical tests using the Threat and Imposition of Economic Sanctions dataset provide supporting evidence for my hypotheses that foreign aid sanctions accelerate target capitulations, but this effect diminishes over time