# How economic sanctions work

> A process map exported from forks.world (https://forks.world). Author: Brian. Source: https://forks.world/p/cmv0kpp2n003ejn06j7dfb5g3
> It describes who does what, in what order, and with which technology. Read the plain-language sections first; the JSON at the end is the exact, complete data.

## Summary

- 9 steps across 1 layer
- Persona: The government, The target country, Banks, Companies, Other countries

## Pain points

Where this process hurts, worst first:

- **Find workarounds: other trade partners, shell companies** (How economic sanctions work; painful): Workarounds blunt the effect, and ordinary people often feel it first

## How to read this file

- A process is made of **layers**. The main layer is the top level; any step of kind `subprocess` opens a detail layer with its own lanes and steps.
- **Lanes** are either persona (people/roles) or technology (systems). Each step belongs to one lane; `using` lists tools a person uses for that step.
- Step kinds: `start`, `task`, `decision` (its arrows carry the answer as a label), `subprocess`, `end`.

## How economic sanctions work

Lanes:
- The government: person / role (id `gov`)
- The target country: person / role (id `target`)
- Banks: person / role (id `banks`)
- Companies: person / role (id `firms`)
- Other countries: person / role (id `world`)

Steps, in the order they run:

1. **An action triggers a response: an invasion, abuses, weapons** [start; The government; id `s1`]
   - then Choose the tools: freeze assets, ban trade, cut banks off
2. **Choose the tools: freeze assets, ban trade, cut banks off** [task; The government; id `s2`]
   - then Banks block payments to listed people and firms
3. **Banks block payments to listed people and firms** [task; Banks; id `s3`]
   - then Companies stop doing business to avoid penalties
4. **Companies stop doing business to avoid penalties** [task; Companies; id `s4`]
   - then The economy feels it: currency, inflation, shortages
5. **The economy feels it: currency, inflation, shortages** [task; The target country; id `s5`]
   - then Find workarounds: other trade partners, shell companies
6. **Find workarounds: other trade partners, shell companies** [task; The target country; id `s6`] ⚠ PAIN POINT (painful): Workarounds blunt the effect, and ordinary people often feel it first
   - then Does the target change its behavior?
7. **Does the target change its behavior?** [decision; The government; id `s7`]
   - if "Yes" go to Ease the sanctions in stages; if "No" go to Tighten and enforce; other countries may or may not join
8. **Ease the sanctions in stages** [end; The government; id `s8`]
9. **Tighten and enforce; other countries may or may not join** [task; Other countries; id `s9`]
   - then Choose the tools: freeze assets, ban trade, cut banks off

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  subgraph l_gov["The government"]
    n_s1(["An action triggers a response: an invasion, abuses, weapons"])
    n_s2["Choose the tools: freeze assets, ban trade, cut banks off"]
    n_s7{"Does the target change its behavior?"}
    n_s8(["Ease the sanctions in stages"])
  end
  subgraph l_target["The target country"]
    n_s5["The economy feels it: currency, inflation, shortages"]
    n_s6["Find workarounds: other trade partners, shell companies"]
  end
  subgraph l_banks["Banks"]
    n_s3["Banks block payments to listed people and firms"]
  end
  subgraph l_firms["Companies"]
    n_s4["Companies stop doing business to avoid penalties"]
  end
  subgraph l_world["Other countries"]
    n_s9["Tighten and enforce; other countries may or may not join"]
  end
  n_s1 --> n_s2
  n_s2 --> n_s3
  n_s3 --> n_s4
  n_s4 --> n_s5
  n_s5 --> n_s6
  n_s6 --> n_s7
  n_s7 -->|"Yes"| n_s8
  n_s7 -->|"No"| n_s9
  n_s9 --> n_s2
```

## Full data (JSON)

```json
{
  "title": "How economic sanctions work",
  "maps": {
    "m_root": {
      "id": "m_root",
      "lanes": [
        {
          "id": "gov",
          "name": "The government",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "target",
          "name": "The target country",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "banks",
          "name": "Banks",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "firms",
          "name": "Companies",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "world",
          "name": "Other countries",
          "type": "person"
        }
      ],
      "steps": [
        {
          "id": "s1",
          "kind": "start",
          "lane": "gov",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s2"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "An action triggers a response: an invasion, abuses, weapons"
        },
        {
          "id": "s2",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "gov",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s3"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Choose the tools: freeze assets, ban trade, cut banks off"
        },
        {
          "id": "s3",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "banks",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s4"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Banks block payments to listed people and firms"
        },
        {
          "id": "s4",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "firms",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s5"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Companies stop doing business to avoid penalties"
        },
        {
          "id": "s5",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "target",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s6"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The economy feels it: currency, inflation, shortages"
        },
        {
          "id": "s6",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "target",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s7"
            }
          ],
          "pain": {
            "note": "Workarounds blunt the effect, and ordinary people often feel it first",
            "level": 2
          },
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Find workarounds: other trade partners, shell companies"
        },
        {
          "id": "s7",
          "kind": "decision",
          "lane": "gov",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s8",
              "label": "Yes"
            },
            {
              "to": "s9",
              "label": "No"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Does the target change its behavior?"
        },
        {
          "id": "s8",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "gov",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Ease the sanctions in stages"
        },
        {
          "id": "s9",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "world",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "s2"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Tighten and enforce; other countries may or may not join"
        }
      ],
      "title": "How economic sanctions work",
      "parent": null
    }
  }
}
```