Superpower Geographies

Question 1

Define superpower

Answer 1

Refers to a nation with the means to project its power and influence anywhere in the world, and to be a dominant global force.

Question 2

What powers do superpowers exercise?

Answer 2

Military power- (access to nuclear weaponry)
Economic power- influential in trade patterns
Cultural power- influential
Geographical power

Question 3

Sources of power

Answer 3

The physical size of a country/the land area- more likely to have resources and more likely to be self sufficient.
Resources
People- demography, population sizes- lots of workers, lots of consumers, lots of people to go into the military, ageing population?
Economic wealth- size, gdp, structure, economy based on a range of different areas.
Military power, nuclear power- military power is increasingly becoming less important.
Shared values- religion, politics, communism vs capitalism, global capitalism is the dominant belief system in the world’s economy- this benefits the USA
Cultural hegemony- best way to obtain power is by consent- agreement and sharing of beliefs and buy in to ideas.

Question 4

Superpowers change over time in a number of different ways:

Answer 4

In personnel- the line up of superpowers changes
In nature- their sources of power
The way they influence- the impacts they have

Question 5

What is cultural hegemony?

Answer 5

the term cultural hegemony describes the domination of a culturally diverse society by the ruling class, who manipulate the culture of that society.

Question 6

What were the three stages of the british empire growth?

Answer 6

The mercantilist stage- based on trade
The imperialist stage- expansion of the empire
The decolonisation stage

Question 7

The emerging superpowers share one or more of what things…

Answer 7

Strong economic power 
Large populations
Access to key resources, especially fossil fuels
Market economies 
Regional power and influence