Unfortunately, almost none of these sanctions have brought about change . . . Nonetheless, sanctions for years have been a favorite foreign policy tool of the White House, Congress and, increasingly, state and local governments. Democrats insisted on sanctions against South Africa during the Reagan administration, and during the Clinton years, Republicans have been pushing for sanctions against countries that persecute Christians. Local governments, too, are eager to use sanctions as an expression of their concern about the policies of foreign governments. Seattle's City Council, under heavy pressure from the business community, rejected pleas from human rights activists to bar purchases from companies doing business in Myanmar.
State governments have little success imposing sanctions.
In a closely watched case, a federal district court last fall struck down a Massachusetts law restricting state transactions with companies doing business in Myanmar.