Without Stopping Putin’s Assault On Ukraine – Economic Sanctions May Make Russians’ Lives Worse
The economic sanctions levied upon Russia as a consequence of its invasion of Ukraine target the Russian economy and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest personal and business associates.
The goal is to alter domestic politics within Russia, ultimately stopping Putin’s aggression. Yet our research into how economic sanctions affect the behavior of dictators indicates the sanctions are likely to increase political repression in Russia and hurt average Russians’ economic security – without stopping Putin from pulverizing Ukraine.
Personal rule
Putin rules Russia with what political scientists like us call a personalist dictatorship.
This term means that the leader has more power than the political party that backs him, and more than the military and security forces. In Russia, Putin ...