Terms of Engagement: Alternatives to Punitive Policies

摘要

The frequent failure of punitive policies -- such as military force or sanctions - to achieve foreign-policy goals at reasonable costs has catalysed a search for alternative ways of dealing with problem regimes. In this quest, engagement strategies, or the primary use of incentives to persuade governments to change their behaviour, hold great promise. At the same time, unconditional forms of engagement which extend inducements to civil society or the private sector can also effect positive changes in the long run. Although an often neglected policy option, engagement has the ability to transform many of the problematic relationships with which the United States has struggled, such as its relations with Cuba, Iran, Libya and others.