International Relations 101: Observational vs Experimental Studies

gametheory101.com/courses/inte...
In an experimental study, we randomly assign who receives a treatment variable and who does not. As a result, it is relatively easy to attribute any difference in an outcome variable to the treatment. Unfortunately, we do not have much experimental data in international relations. Observational data, in contrast, can be full of confounding factors. If we are not careful, it will be easy to make mistakes in how we interpret statistical findings.
With economic sanctions in particular, the observational data we receive is full of biases. We will discuss one of the biggest problems in the next lecture.

[@EarnestBunbury]

I believe, that the primary purpose of most of the sanctions is to please domestic voters and not (at least as the primary objective) to force foreign regimes to conduct other policies.

[@Upopcorn]

I thought I used to believe that sanctions were imposed or utilized for political concerns for "maintenance" as a form of "soft power" (by-whatever-that-is-to-be-meant). But, it may have shifted to considerations that may be dependent on conditions difficult to quantify. Do most sanctions actually work as expected despite making a country more independent in generating a potential black-market or supposed "underground", my question could be? And if the action does not generate what had been hypothesized, for what reason would one continue such policies. That would be, I don't really know.
Thank you for your work, Mr. Spaniel.
It keeps brain cell growth.

[@PunmasterSTP]

I was just thinking about an analogy with medicine, and then I saw your first slide pop up! Thanks for another intriguing video.