component 3: power and developments

Question 1

different types of power

Answer 1

1- hard power: primarily military and economic power, it is a command power allowing the state to do what it wants via force, pressure or diplomatic manouvering e.g. military strength USA. Hard power allows countries to be more self-reliant and appeals to the electorate as they feel secure.
2 - soft power: ways where a state can achieve objectives via persuasion and appeal of its cultural and political system, emphasises the potential for global cooperation based on shared interests e.g. cultural products like film, music, literature. Spreads culture, avoids need for military intervention.

Question 2

significance of states in global affairs

Answer 2

1 - Great powers: states recognised as having the ability and expertise to exert influence on a global scale, they have regional influence, a major role in IGOs, economic strength and military power beyond borders e.g. pre-ww1 UK, France and Austro-Hungary.
2 - superpowers: a state with dominant position in global politics, possess nuclear weapons, dominant in IGOs, possession of a world view and willing to proactively enforce it, global reach e.g. USA & USSR post-ww2.
3 - Emerging powers: states who’ve started to acquire great power status but not yet met all the criteria. This is the BRICS e.g. China does not have large military power, Brazil is dominant in Latin America and in climate negotiations.

Question 3

polarity

Answer 3

1 - Bipolarity: e.g. the cold war. There were 2 equally matched superpowers competing for global dominance. The UN became redundant due as they were permanent members of SC. Each had own military alliance (NATO and Warsaw) and states they could rely on. Realists may believe this is the most stable.
2 - Unipolarity/hegemony: When USSR collapsed, USA become world’s only superpower. The US established global hegemony (dominance). According to the hegemonic stability theory, global hegemony maintain international law, spreads democracy and gives humanitarian intervention, assuming that the hegemon’s power will be benign (good).

Question 4

systems of states 1

Answer 4

• democratic states: 50% of world, free, fair elections, universal suffrage, choice of parties and policies, freedom of speech and media, pressure groups, independent judiciary e.g. UK, USA, NZ
• semi democratic states: possess features of democracy it authoritarian tendencies, elections but not free and fair, limited freedom, limited range of parties, electoral fraud, political opponents and minorities repressed e.g. India, Turkey, South Africa.
• non-democratic states: absence of free and fair elections, no choice of parties and candidates, no freedom of speech or media, few states are like this e.g. China, Russia, Saudi Arabia

Question 5

systems of states 2

Answer 5

• authoritarian states: autocratic states are ruled by single person with unlimited power, most leaders are elected to power as head of movements e.g. Hitler, Mussolini, or seized power via coup or revolution e.g. Sadeem Hussain, an opposition, protests, membership of [arty often necessary.
• failed states: unable to act as a viable political entity, loss of control over territory, gov lacks legitimacy and authority, inability to provide basic services to people e.g. water, education. Inability to interact with other states as a full member of the international community. e.g. Haiti, DRC.
• rogue states: actin defiance of international norms, threaten global stability, develop weapons of mass destruction, connections with terrorism, in defiance of IGOs or treaties e/g/ North Korea.