Abstract
From 1979 to 2022, US presidents declared seventy-six national emergencies under the authority of the National Emergencies Act of 1976 (Waldman, in Brennon Center for Justice. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/declared-national-emergencies-under-nationalemergencies-act, 2023). Despite the increasingly prominent role of this form of executive action, the academic literature largely overlooked these national emergencies and their associated economic sanctions programs. In this concluding chapter, we summarize our findings regarding the relationship between national emergency policies and presidential rhetoric and discuss how these results contribute to the broader understanding of unilateral presidential powers and contemporary American foreign policy. We conclude by offering some suggestions for future research.
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Notes
- 1.
Much of Burundi’s domestic strife stemmed from President Nkurunziza’s decision to run for a third consecutive term, despite the constitutional limitation of two five-year terms (Niyungeko & Bilefsky, 2015). Large-scale protests, a continual exodus of refugees, and an attempted coup d’état attempt in May 2015 led by Major General Godefroid Niyoumbare, further contributed to political instability within Burundi (Niyungeko & Bilefsky, 2015).
- 2.
- 3.
This change of rhetoric did not result in any changes to the number of individuals or organizations sanctioned through the national emergency policy (Sanctions Explorer, 2023).
- 4.
Though President Trump and President Biden identified desirable political changes in Burundi, several NGOs note continued threats to the population in Burundi, including media restrictions, violence against members of perceived political opposition, and widespread food insecurity (Freedom House, 2021; Roth, 2022).
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Ouyang, Y., Morgan, M.A. (2023). Tough Talk in US Foreign Policy. In: Talking Tough in U.S. Foreign Policy. The Evolving American Presidency. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-39493-5_5
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