carrot and stick

From combining two ways to motivate a beast of burden, with the lure of a carrot placed just out of reach, and the threat of a stick behind.

• "It was this carrot and stick discipline to which Mr. John Mill was subjected, and which he accepted dutifully as flowing from that perfect wisdom of which up to this time his father had been the representative."
• "There was no similar carrot and stick for use against the French land armaments."
• "The proposal to use the world trade order as a source of carrots and sticks for the pursuit of environmental objectives is based on three illusions."
• "the artful tactic of carrot and stick bore relatively plentiful fruit."