Section A - Superpowers - EQ1 - What are Superpowers and how have they Changed Over Time?

Question 1

What is a superpower, when did this term first emerge, and what has happened in the 21st century?

Answer 1

• A super power is ‘a country with the capacity to project dominating power and influence anywhere in the world, sometimes in more than one region at a time’
• The word was first used post WW2 to describe the UK, USA, and USSR, but since then the UK Empire disappeared, the USSR collapsed in 1991, and only the USA remains as a major power
• The 21st century has started to provide challengers to America’s power, such as the BRICS countries

Question 2

What are the seven ways in which a super power can be assessed?

Answer 2

1) Physical size and geographical location
2) Economic power and influence
3) Demographic factors
4) Political factors
5) Military strength
6) Cultural influence
7_ Access to natural resources

Question 3

Seven ways in which superpowers can be assessed - Physical size and geographical position

Answer 3

Larger countries usually have greater resources and influence – EG Russia with 17 million km2 of land covering Europe and Asia – it controls significant resources such as those untapped natural resources in the Arctic region

Question 4

Seven ways in which superpowers can be assessed - Economic power and influence

Answer 4

The ten largest economies in the world earn 65% of global GDP, control investment, have the most powerful currencies (EU and USA produce 40% of global GDP between them) and determine economic policy (G20 and trading blocs) – the world’s largest economies also give aid to the poorer economies when they need it

Question 5

Seven ways in which superpowers can be assessed - Demographic factors

Answer 5

• Pop can be a key to economic success by providing a sufficient labour force to generate economic growth EG the UK having inward migration as a means of increasing its labour force since the 1990s and China/India using their large pops as a source of cheap manufacturing labour
• Large pop also spurs economic growth as it provides a market EG European single market of 500 million people
• Large pop is not critical to economic success EG Singapore having a major influence on Southeast Asia’s economy with a pop half the size of London’s

Question 6

Seven ways in which superpowers can be assessed - Political factors

Answer 6

Most countries have decided that linking up with like-minded countries to form political alliances is a good way of ensuring power EG Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), G8, G20

Question 7

Seven ways in which superpowers can be assessed - Military strength

Answer 7

• Historically, the bigger the army, the more powerful the nation EG WW2 – China and Russia are growing in this regard but unable to challenge US yet
• Membership on the UN Security Council is the ultimate status of military power – 5 permanent members are those considered the victors of WW2 – USA, UK, Russia, China, France

Question 8

Seven ways in which superpowers can be assessed - Cultural influence

Answer 8

News companies around the world EG Murdoch’s empire are hugely influential EG the Sun in the UK and Fox in the US – however, increased globalisation has led to a multi-media world in which these traditional media empires have less impact, and new media TNCs such as Disney (US) and Sony (Japan) are increasingly relevant

Question 9

Seven ways in which superpowers can be assessed - Access to natural resources

Answer 9

Resources such as oil and metals are essential to economic development – many countries natural resources are actually managed by TNCs such as Shell and BP which are being challenged by the rise of OPEC

Question 10

The changing centre of power - Geo-strategic location theory - Who came up with this theory and what does this theory believe, who should be the most powerful country, what is happening in the 21st century?

Answer 10

• Mackinder’s heartland (also known as geo-strategic location theory), argued that whoever controlled Europe or Asia would control the world
• Mackinder believed whoever ruled the most strategic part of Europe would command the heartland, whoever ruled the heartland would command the world island (IE Russia and Europe), whoever controlled the world island ruled the world
• The further away a country from the heartland, the less influence it would have
• According to Mackinder’s theory, Russia should be the most powerful country, but he argued that its many borders leave it open to attack from many angles, and its few year round ports hamper its economic abilities
• In the 21st century, the heartland has been pulled towards the region with the largest GDP, previously the UK then the US and now pulling back to the East with the rise of Russia and China

Question 11

The emergence of a bi-polar world - What was the situation by 1945?

Answer 11

By 1945, a bi-polar world had emerged with two main powers – the US and the USSR

Question 12

The emergence of a bi-polar world - Military factors

Answer 12

Militarily, Russian influence extended through the East after it swept through Eastern Europe to occupy Germany at the end of WW2 – after this, it created the Eastern bloc so as to have a buffer between itself and the West, with the border coming at the Iron Curtain between East and West Germany – the result was a balance of power between Warsaw Pact countries in the East and NATO countries in the West

Question 13

The emergence of a bi-polar world - Political factors

Answer 13

Politically, Eastern European countries were not directly ruled by Moscow, but its influence ranged from economic planning to military occupations – elections had only communists candidates, and any deviation from Moscow’s policies was met with harsh punishment EG Hungary 1956 and Czechoslovakia 1968 – the balance of political power was tested by the Cold War and incidents such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, however the nuclear threat kept things from escalating too far

Question 14

The emergence of a bi-polar world - Economic factors

Answer 14

Economically, the US expanded its economic influence through the Marshall Plan sending financial aid to Europe after the war, and inward investment into countries such as Japan, Singapore, and the Philippians – this is know as neo-colonialism

Question 15

The emergence of a bi-polar world - Cultural factors

Answer 15

Culturally, the Cold War extended both Eastern and Western propaganda for conflicts such as the Korean and Vietnam wars, particularly in the US, anti Communist propaganda was very high (EG ‘reds under the beds)

Question 16

How has the rise of China challenged the bi-polar world?

Answer 16

• The fall of the Berlin Wall has led to a uni-polar world – IE a world where the USA has no rivals as a superpower
• However, in recent years, China’s rapid development has been looking to challenge this, as well it might going forward into the future due to its large economic progress since the late 1970s

Question 17

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - Brazil - Economically

Answer 17

Economically, produces half of South America’s GDP, although it does rely on primary products for export rather than manufacturing – also has huge natural resources and is self-sufficient in both food and energy – agricultural superpower, third largest producer of iron ore, second largest producer of biofuel, third largest producer of HEP

Question 18

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - Brazil - Politically

Answer 18

Politically, Brazil has been politically unstable under Bolsenaro leading to riots in 2022, remains to be seen what happens under Lula

Question 19

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - Brazil - Militarily

Answer 19

Militarily, Brazil spends over 60% of South America’s total military budget

Question 20

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - Brazil - Culturally

Answer 20

Culturally, Brazil has a reputation as a footballing nation and hosted the 2014 WC and the 2016 Olympics – also famous for Carnival

Question 21

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - Brazil - Demographically

Answer 21

Demographically, Brazil contains half of South America’s pop (214 million), its pop is young with a 31 median age but ageing, the fertility rate fell from 6 in 1960 to 1.8 in 2015

Question 22

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - Brazil - Environmentally

Answer 22

Environmentally, Brazil’s biodiversity includes 13% of all known species as well as the Amazon rainforest, but this is subject to mass deforestation currently

Question 23

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - Russia - Economically

Answer 23

Economically, Russia is the 9th largest economy. but very dependent on oil and gas exports making it vulnerable to price fluctuations, historic unbalanced economy with more industrial production than consumer goods, 35% of its wealth is in just 110 people’s hands, and the poorest 20% of Russians share 3% of Russia’s GDP

Question 24

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - Russia - Politically and militarily

Answer 24

Politically and militarily, the Ukraine War has sought to expand Russia’s influence, although it probably didn’t anticipate that it would take this long, showing failure

Question 25

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - Russia - Culturally

Answer 25

Culturally, Russian is spoken little beyond the borders of the former USSR, though pre war it did have a large tourism industry

Question 26

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - Russia - Demographically

Answer 26

Demographically, Russian pop is declining steadily with a low fertility rate (1.78 in 2015)

Question 27

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - Russia - Environmentally

Answer 27

Environmentally, Russia has a massive pollution legacy with little concern for the environment – also damaged by Chenobyl

Question 28

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - India - Economically

Answer 28

Economically, the Indian economy averages 75 annual growth and quadrupled between 1997 and 2015 with its use of English as the business language – however, gov is facing huge debt and 20% of Indians live in abject poverty

Question 29

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - India - Politically

Answer 29

Politically, with 672 million voters, India is the world’s largest democracy and was a founding member of the UN and is a member of the G20

Question 30

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - India - Militarily

Answer 30

Militarily, India ranks as the world’s fourth largest military

Question 31

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - India - Culturally

Answer 31

Culturally, India was the birthplace of four major religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism – also home to the world’s largest film industry – Bollywood

Question 32

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - India - Demographically

Answer 32

Demographically, India has the world’s second largest pop after China at 1.408 billion and has a youthful and massive workforce

Question 33

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - India - Environmentally

Answer 33

Environmentally, India includes 6% of the world’s plant and bird species, but has a serious problem with pollution

Question 34

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - China - Economically

Answer 34

Economically, due to its huge 1.412 billion pop, China’s GDP per capita is only 10% of that of the USA – in 2009, only 2% of China’s adult pop graduated uni – China does invest heavily overseas but is in massive levels of debt

Question 35

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - China - Politically

Answer 35

Politically, China rarely gets involved in global politics or crises and has a one-party authoritarian gov

Question 36

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - China - Militarily

Answer 36

Militarily, China has the largest army in the world

Question 37

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - China - Culturally

Answer 37

Culturally, China has few global brands and negligible impact on culture

Question 38

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - China - Demographically

Answer 38

Demographically, China’s one child policy has led to am ageing pop – median age 35.2 in 2015 compared to India’s 27.5 – many Chinese retire early and put stress on gov in terms of health care and social care – China also recieves little international migration

Question 39

Emerging superpowers - Assessing the BRICS countries - China - Environmentally

Answer 39

Environmentally, China is the world’s largest exporter of CO2 – emissions rose 280% from 1990-2013 and it produced 33% of global emissions but began to commit to reduction targets in 2016

Question 40

Theories of changing patterns of power - Wallerstein’s world systems theory - What are core and periphery regions and how do they interact?

Answer 40

• Wallerstein identified two economic areas the core and the periphery, to explain how successful places maintain their economic power and how new centres develop
• Core regions drive the world economy and developed as the world’s first industrial areas during the 18th and 19th centuries (UK, EU, NA) – despite the recent shift to China and India, the Western core now owns 75% of global goods and services – however, due to the global economic shift to the East, China and India are regaining their core status
• Peripheral areas rely on core regions for capital through exports – largely occurred due to colonialisation where the West took control of the resources in their colonies to maintain their core status – often drafted peripheral residents into their economies as low wage labour – this can be seen the economies of developing countries typically being dominated by exports of primary products and imports of manufactured goods – cores remain dominant because they own production lines and dictate what is produced by whom

Question 41

Theories of changing patters of power - The modernisation theory - How did lead to investment for which countries and what did this lead to?

Answer 41

• Advancing Communism and USSR investment into India and Southeast Asia caused the US to make their foreign policy into anti-Communist policy – the US did this through the promotion of economic development through modernisation
• The IMF and the WB helped the US achieve this, with modernisation theorists believing that capitalism was the fundamental solution to poverty – without reform they argued that poverty would remain a trap or a cycle and traditional family values in poorer countries would hold economies back by preventing geographical mobility
• Investment in countries bordering China and the USSR, modernisation theorists believed, could prevent communism from spreading to EG Japan, India, Singapore, SK, Taiwan, and the Philippians with all these countries now being major economies – after the collapse of the USSR, investment and aid became a priority for ex-communist countries

Question 42

Theories of changing patters of power - The dependency theory - What does this argue and how does this theory suggest power is maintained?

Answer 42

• Dependency theory argues that developing countries remain dependent on wealthier nations, and that their reliance – or dependency – on developed economies is the cause of poverty
• As with the core and periphery model, trade patters involve the exchange of primary exports to developed nations in exchange for manufactured products – the terms of trade remained stacked against them since tariffs are added to imported products and it is in this way that poverty is maintained in developing countries without the opportunity to process primary goods
• To develop, countries would have to adopt a virtuos cycle, ie retain their primary products and invest in processing and manufacturing – thus adding value and employment – in doing so, they would face tariff barriers in their markets in the USA, Japan, or Europe