EQ2: What are the impacts of superpowers on the global economy, political systems and the physical environment? Flashcards

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1
Q

What percentage of global GDP did the USA, EU and Japan account for in 2016?

A

60%

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2
Q

The USA, EU and Japan - are all Western capitalist economies. What does this mean?

A
  • Are capitalist
  • Promote free trade in goods and services across borders
  • Are dominated by private enterprise, rather than government-owned companies
  • Promote wealth creation and accumulation by companies and individuals
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3
Q

When was the World Bank (WB) established?

A

1944

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4
Q

What is the role of the World Bank (WB) in the promotion of free trade and capitalism?

A

Lends money to developing and emerging economies to promote economic development
This is done within a Western capitalist model
The money originates from developed countries

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5
Q

When was the World Trade Organisation (WTO) established?

A

1947

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6
Q

What is the role of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in the promotion of free trade and capitalism?

A

Works to remove barriers to international trade

Has negotiated a sequence of global free trade agreements that have gradually removed free taxes and quotas

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7
Q

When was the International Monetary Fund (IMF) established?

A

1945

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8
Q

What is the role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the promotion of free trade and capitalism?

A

Promotes global economic stability
Aids economies in opening up to world trade and investment
Comes to the aid of countries in economic difficulty

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9
Q

When was the World Economic Forum (WEF) established?

A

1971

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10
Q

What is the role of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the promotion of free trade and capitalism?

A

A Swiss non-profit organisation
It acts as a forum for discussion between business, politicians and IGOs
It is pro-free trade and pro-TNCs

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11
Q

Name the global IGO that promotes global free trade.

A

World Trade Organisation (WTO)

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12
Q

What is the difference between public TNCs and state-led TNCs?

A

1 Public TNCs: owned by shareholders

2 State-led TNCs: owned by governments

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13
Q

Give one example of a public TNC.

A

Apple

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14
Q

Give one example of a state-led TNC.

A

Bank of China

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15
Q

How many people does Walmart employ worldwide?

A

2.3 million

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16
Q

What percentage of the world’s 2000 biggest companies in 2016 were from the EU, USA and Japan?

A

62%

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17
Q

What percentage of the world’s 2000 biggest companies were from the USA alone?

A

Over 25%

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18
Q

Why are TNCs influential in terms of maintaining power and generating wealth?

A
  • Their economic power influences trade patterns, and therefore the location of areas of growth because of the foreign direct investment (FDI).
  • If TNCs decide to move somewhere else, they can cause economic decline.
  • TNCs invest heavily in new technology and patents.
  • 90% of global patent royalties are paid to EU, US and Japanese companies.
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19
Q

What percentage of global patent royalties are paid to EU, US and Japanese companies?

A

90%

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20
Q

What is cultural influence linked to?

A

Economic influence and the development and spread of new technology

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21
Q

What are TNC brands key drivers of?

A

Cultural globalisation and Westernisation

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22
Q

What is Westernisation?

A

Adoption of western culture and values

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23
Q

What does the adoption of western culture and values include?

A
  • Individual freedom and rights
  • Accumulating wealth, owning property and consuming goods and services indicate a successful life
  • The importance of leisure activities
  • Having the latest technology
  • Living in a small family unit
  • The spread of American English as a ‘global language’
  • The desire to have access to the world’s most famous global brands
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24
Q

When do weaker countries look to a true superpower to act in times of crisis?

A
  • Intervening in war and conflict
  • Taking action in terms of crisis response
  • Responding to terrorism
  • Responding to longer-term threats
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25
Q

Give one example of a global action.

A

2014 Ebola epidemic
The USA, UK and France led the crisis response in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, deploying military and medical assets

26
Q

Today, which country is expected to act as the ‘world’s policeman’?

A

USA

27
Q

What are the advantages of alliances?

A
  • Allies in distant parts of the world can spot trouble as it develops.
  • Allies increase the network of military assets spread around the world.
  • Political and economic allies can form a large bloc, to force their agenda on the wider world.
28
Q

What does the USA have which its emerging power challengers (China, Russia and India) cannot match?

A

A broad global military alliance

29
Q

Why is having a broad global military alliance important for the USA?

A

To position powerful air and naval assets around the world

30
Q

Name one US military alliance.

A

ANZUS

Australia and New Zealand

31
Q

How much did the USA and its military allies spend on their militaries in 2015?

A

US$966 billion

32
Q

What are the names of the countries that the free-trade agreement ‘NAFTA’ is between?

A

USA, Mexico and Canada

33
Q

What does the overlap between economic and military alliances create?

A

Interdependence in terms of geostrategy

34
Q

What does economic prosperity require?

A

Geopolitical stability (wars are bad for trade), which is ensured by military alliances

35
Q

When was the UN (United Nations) set up?

A

1945

36
Q

Why was the UN (United Nations) set up?

A

To create a new world order of peace, prosperity and stability and avoid further world wars

37
Q

What does the UN Security Council make decisions on?

A
  • Taking military action against countries seen to be breaking international law or persecuting people
  • Applying economic or diplomatic sanctions to countries, to try to force them to change their behaviour
38
Q

Why is the UN important?

A
  • The International Court of Justice upholds international law.
  • Peacekeeping missions can be set up by the UN, sourcing armed forces from member states.
  • The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its scientific advisory panel the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are important in informing the debate on global warming/international agreements - COP21 agreement in Paris in 2015.
39
Q

What is the role of the International Court of Justice?

A

Upholds international law

40
Q

What percentage of global carbon dioxide emissions did China account for in 2015?

A

29%

41
Q

What percentage of global carbon dioxide emissions did the USA account for in 2015?

A

14%

42
Q

What have the USA and China been reluctant to set?

A

Emission reduction targets

43
Q

What is happening to EU and US carbon dioxide emissions?

A

Static/falling

44
Q

What is happening to carbon dioxide emissions in China?

A

Rising

45
Q

What are the key questions in terms of the resource demands for the next 20 years?

A
  • What will the food, water, energy, mineral and other resource demands of emerging India, Brazil and China be as those countries get wealthier?
  • Can the world’s resource base provide for these emerging powers, if people attain a similar level of wealth to the EU and USA today?
46
Q

Why are carbon dioxide emissions expected to rise in India?

A

In India, demand for food and water, as that country reduces poverty, look unsustainable by 2030 as even today India struggles with adequate water supply.

47
Q

Why are carbon dioxide emissions expected to rise in China?

A

In China, demands for cars, bigger houses and consumer goods could lead to rising resource prices and, potentially shortages.

48
Q

What is continued economic development in emerging powers likely to lead to?

A

Environmental degradation

49
Q

In 2015, which single country was the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide?

A

China

50
Q

Why is the opinion on environmental issues such as carbon emissions very divided?

A
  • China’s focus is largely on economic development, not environmental issues.
  • There is a long-standing ‘climate scepticism’ in the USA.
  • Europeans are more concerned.
51
Q

What percentage of the population in the USA shows that concern on environmental issues such as carbon emissions is quite low?

A

45%

52
Q

What decisions has Brazil taken to protect and conserve the environment?

A

Slowed forest loss and expanded protected areas since 2005

53
Q

What decisions has China taken to protect and conserve the environment?

A

World’s biggest investor in renewable wind power and solar power and has cut back on coal burning

54
Q

What did all countries agree on at the Paris climate summit (COP21) in 2015?

A

Emissions reductions

55
Q

Why is resource demand not likely to remain static in emerging powers?

A
  • Increasing population

- Increased wealth

56
Q

What percentage of global rare earth production is in China?

A

80-90%

57
Q

In 2015, how many barrels of oil did the USA use per day?

A

19 million

58
Q

In 2015, how many barrels of oil did China use per day?

A

12 million

59
Q

In 2015, how many barrels of oil did India use per day?

A

4 million

60
Q

What are the two consequences that rising resource demand is likely to have?

A

1 The price of key resources rises as higher demand puts pressure on supply
2 Availability of resources falls

61
Q

How will the rise of middle-class consumption affect the physical environment?

A
  • More mining, oil drilling and deforestation
  • Increased carbon emissions from higher energy consumption and more factories
  • Problems disposing of consumer waste in landfill sites and incinerators
  • More use of water, and therefore more polluted waste water
62
Q

What is the range of daily earnings in US$ that defines ‘middle class’?

A

People earning US$10-100 per day