Differing Significance of States

Question 1

state power classifications

Answer 1

Different factors enable states to influence the decisions and behaviour of other states as well as gain power

A state can derive power through capabilities relationships and structures

Question 2

state power classifications: CAPABILITIES

Answer 2

Resources that it can draw on such as population wealth military capability and geography

For example a poor country with a small population is highly unlikely to become a military power and will probably never be able to exercise hard power in any meaningful sense

Question 3

state power classifications: RELATIONSHIPS

Answer 3

Known as relational power involves making the right strategic alliances or joining certain international institutions this can give power to a state far beyond the extent of its resources

Question 4

state power classifications: STRUCTURES

Answer 4

Refers to a state establishment or control of knowledge financial security and production networks

The USA has significant structural power because it is the architect and Leading power in a number of political and economic international organisations

Question 5

why is determining a state’s power difficult?

Answer 5

Determining the origins of states power can be challenging and deciding which of the factors capabilities relationships or structures are most important in gaining power is equally difficult

Power is mutable and dynamic it varies according to the circumstance (whether economic social political or military) and is as much about perception as it is about tangible qualities

Question 6

types of state…

Answer 6

great powers

superpowers

emerging powers

Question 7

GREAT POWERS: what is a great power?

Answer 7

A great power is a state that is recognised as having the ability and expertise to exert its influence on a global scale

The term originated in the 19th century when it was used to describe the combatants of the Napoleonic wars Austria France Great Britain Prussia and Russia

Question 8

GREAT POWERS: characteristics of a great power

Answer 8

There is no single agreed definition as to what makes a state great power

However some thinkers define in terms of military power or capability well others such as Kenneth Waltz (Founder of neorealism) use these criteria…

Population and territory resources economic development political stability competence and military strength the ability to project power beyond the states geographical region

Question 9

GREAT POWERS:

Answer 9

A great power can be placed towards the top of the hierarchal state system

Great powers all seem to have enough military power to provide for their own survival and possibly to influence other states significant economic power is the ability to engage globally not just regionally using military and economic strength as well as diplomatic and soft power influence a foreign policy that can impact on international affairs and have a significant say within global governance organisations

The term great power is most commonly associated with the major powers USA and USSR in the pre-Second World War era today however the time could be applied to the UK France and possibly China Russia and India

Question 10

GREAT POWERS: Great Britain

Answer 10

Of the five countries represented at the Congress of Vienna in 1814 to 15 which agreed a peace settlement to end the Napoleonic wars, Great Britain came closest to satisfying all the criteria for great power status

In 1922 the British Empire covered nearly 1/4 of the globe and rude about 1/5 of the worlds population it was the foremost naval power and the richest and most developed economy in the world

Question 11

GREAT POWERS: Germany

Answer 11

By the start of the 20th century Germany was beginning to challenge Britain militarily and its rapid industrialisation at the end of the 19th century made it a rival economically too

Question 12

GREAT POWERS: the USA

Answer 12

The USA was also beginning to emerge in the 20th century predominantly as a developing economy

The Monroe doctrine the guiding principle of US foreign policy since 1823 prohibited the country from interference in European affairs which initially stopped it becoming a military power until World War II

Question 13

SUPERPOWERS: what is a superpower?

Answer 13

A superpower is a state with a dominant position in international relations pre-eminent among great powers and characterised by its unparalleled ability to exert influence or project power on a global scale

Question 14

SUPERPOWERS:

Answer 14

A superpower is traditionally seen as exhibiting greater power than a great power

The definition was created to describe the post-Second World War USSR and USA and focuses on their capabilities and ability to project their power across the globe

Superpowers or seem to have the ability to achieve global political objectives through cultural military and economic strength as well as diplomatic and soft power influence

Pre-eminent military capabilities including nuclear weapons on the means to deliver them across the planet

Pre-eminent economic and strategic powers within the ideological block or region in this case the USA and the west and the USSR and the east

The status of superpower today applies to the USA and possibly China

Question 15

SUPERPOWERS: where did the term emerge?

Answer 15

The term emerged in the aftermath of World War II to describe the two main actors in the Cold War USA and the Soviet union

These countries dominated the international order in ways that Great Britain as a great power in the 19th century had failed to do

what distinguished the US and Soviet union from others was their mobility of power, Both countries had formed blocks spheres of influence in which they dominated

Question 16

SUPERPOWERS: spheres of influence during the Cold War

Answer 16

The North Atlantic Treaty organisation NATO was led by the US and included much Western Europe the alliance was mainly a mutual defence arrangement so if one state was attacked presumably by the Soviet union or one of its allies the other states would all come to its aid

Meanwhile the Warsaw Pact was formed by the Soviet union to protect itself and its eastern European allies against possible attack from a NATO country

Question 17

SUPERPOWERS: strategic alliances during the Cold War supplemented by relations beyond Europe

Answer 17

The strategic alliances seen during the Cold War NATO and the Warsaw Pact was supplemented by political and economic associations beyond Europe

The USA allied with Japan and became involved in the Korean (1950 to 53) and Vietnamese (1955 to 74) conflicts to prevent Communist regimes seizing power

it also took an active interest in preventing the spread of communism in Central and South America by sponsoring right wing opponents of Salvador Allende in Chile (1963 to 73) and providing arms to the right-wing contra rebels in Nicaragua in the 1980s

The US has long supported Israel to act as a counterweight to Soviet-backed regimes in Egypt Syria and Afghanistan

The Soviet union provided military and economic support to the Communist insurgency in Korea and Vietnam it also supported Communist Cuba (the Russian placing of nuclear missiles there led to the 1962 Cuban missile crisis)

Question 18

SUPERPOWERS: how did the USA and Soviet Union develop into undeniable superpowers?

Answer 18

During the Cold War every part of the globe acted as an arena for US Soviet rivalry

The US and Soviet union enjoyed global reach which only Britain had come near to resembling during the height of the British Empire

The development of the nuclear bomb transformed the US and Soviet union into undeniable superpowers they were the first countries to develop such weapons so were able to control their proliferation and use as a result they were able to become dominant military powers in the post war era

Question 19

EMERGING POWERS: what is an emerging power?

Answer 19

There is no single agreed definition of an emerging power term has only recently come into common use

It is a state that is considered to be rising primarily in economic power and influence

It is generally agreed that a key characteristic of an emerging power is a growing economy which gives the state the potential to be an important global actor

Question 20

EMERGING POWERS: how are emerging powers possible?

Answer 20

Without globalisation they may not be emerging powers

The growing volume of international trade requires the management of trading relations through international organisation which brings states into closer contact with each other providing opportunities to exert influence economically and politically

The existence of emerging powers suggests that the world is multipolar or is the rise of China a return to bipolarity

Question 21

EMERGING POWERS: states recognised as emerging powers

Answer 21

States recognised as emerging powers

BRICS (Brazil Russia India China and South Africa)

Argentina Australia Indonesia Iran Mexico Nigeria Poland Saudi Arabia South Korea Turkey

The G 20 is seen by many as the forum through which these countries can exert influence the G 20 is arguably more important than the G-7

Question 22

EMERGING POWERS:

Answer 22

Emerging powers refer to states that are emerging as powerful modern economies

The states are becoming more economically important within the global market and are starting to be more assertive in the institutions of global governance such as the WTO and G 20

The states most commonly described as emerging or BRIC S Brazil Russia India China South Africa

Together these states represent 26% of the planets landmass are home to 46% of the worlds population and account for nearly 20% of the global GDP and 17% of global trade

Question 23

EMERGING POWERS: challenges to US dominance

Answer 23

Undoubtedly the USA has been the dominant hegemon post-World War II but the emergence of BRICS due to globalisation Has arguably created a new world order in which the USA is no longer at the helm

The growth of supranational and into governmental institutions such as the EU also challenges US dominance

Question 24

BRICS powers: GDP

Answer 24

2015 GDP ranking Brazil ninth Russia 13th India seventh China second South Africa 32nd

Question 25

BRICS powers: population

Answer 25

2015 population ranking Brazil versus Russia ninth India second China first South Africa 24th

Question 26

BRICS powers: nuclear weapons

Answer 26

Brazil has no nuclear weapons they have the technology but have signed the Treaty of the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons

Russia India and China all have nuclear weapons

South Africa has had nuclear weapons in the past but dismantled them when it signed the NPT

Question 27

BRICS powers: military spend

Answer 27

2015 military spend ranking Brazil 11th Russia fourth India sixth China second South Africa significantly lower not in the top 30

Question 28

BRICS powers: natural resources and trade

Answer 28

Brazil has many natural resources including gold iron uranium and petroleum, It also has a significant amount of hydropower it trades heavily in agriculture especially coffee beef soya and sugar Brazil is also a big supply of timber and oil it has significant textiles and electronics industries

Russia has significant natural resources including oil gas and coal it also has uranium natural resources dominate Russia’s exports it also has a significant proportion of the globe is fossil fuels

India has lots of major mineral resources including: coal iron ore bauxite As well as natural gas diamonds and limestone it also has nuclear reserves in uranium and thorium India has been famous for its telecommunications industry with lots of MNCs outsourcing to India

China is behind only the USA and Russia in terms of the proportion of natural resources it holds it has significant resources of coal 10 copper zinc and iron China is renowned for its electronics exports

South Africa has many natural resources including diamonds Gold and silver it also has salt cobalt copper uranium bauxite and iron its main exports are tropical fruit sugar well gold and diamonds but South Africa is yet to unlock the full extent of its natural resources

Question 29

BRICS powers: IGO membership

Answer 29

Brazil is a member of the G 20 and of the sub regional bloc Mercosur

Russia is a member of the G 20 a permanent member of the UN Security Council and was a G-7 member until suspension for its invasion of Ukraine

India is a member of the G 20 it is not a UN Security Council permanent member but has been a key contender whenever there are talks to expand the permanent membership base

China is a member of the G 20 and permanent member of the UN Security Council

South Africa is a member of the G 20 and the African union