Superpowers Flashcards
Hard and soft power, alliances, IGOs and global influence
1
Q
What is a superpower?
A
A country with dominating power and influence
2
Q
3 types of superpowers
A
- Hegemon
- Emerging power
- Regional power
3
Q
What is a hegemon?
A
A supreme power or a country which is dominant over others. Their power extends to several different countries
4
Q
Which 1 country claims to be a hegemon?
A
USA
5
Q
What is an emerging power?
A
A country that has increasing power but is not yet dominant
6
Q
Examples of emerging powers
A
Brazil, India, Russia, China (BRIC nations)
7
Q
What is a regional power?
A
A country that exerts influence over other countries in the same region
8
Q
Examples of regional powers
A
In Asia, China and India are regional powers and may potentially become superpowers
9
Q
What is economic power?
A
The size and influence of a country’s economy
10
Q
3 largest economies in the world
A
USA, China, Japan
11
Q
The world’s top 10 economies have __% of the global GDP
A
65%
12
Q
World’s five largest economies
A
USA, China, Japan, Germany, UK
13
Q
Why is it important that superpowers have strong currencies?
A
People want to invest into a currency which is considered ‘safe’ with minimal risk
14
Q
What is the most powerful currency in the world?
A
US dollar
15
Q
Why do superpowers get lots of FDI?
A
Investing in a TNC is much more likely to make profit in a superpower because the consumer market is so large
16
Q
Example of a TNC from China?
A
Alibaba group
17
Q
Why do superpowers tend to be large countries?
A
- Large area spreads its influence further
- Access to more natural resources
18
Q
What are some smaller superpowers?
A
UK, Japan
Arguably their empires helped to spread their influence
19
Q
What is the world’s largest country (by land)?
A
Russia
20
Q
How many people live in Russia?
A
145m
21
Q
What percentage of the world’s landmass is Russian territory?
A
11%
22
Q
Why is it important that Russia has access to the Arctic
A
Access to untapped natural resources
23
Q
What is the name of the state-controlled oil company in Russia?
A
Rosneft
24
Q
What is the 3rd largest country on Earth by land mass?
A
USA
25
What natural resources does the US have lots of?
Oil and steel
26
Why is it advantageous that the US has a large population?
Large domestic market
27
GDP of Japan
$5trn
28
Examples of transnational organisations that have global influence?
- EU
- OECD
- G20
29
What is the G20?
A 'club' of the world's 20 largest economies
30
What percentage of the world's population lives in a G20 country?
Around 50%
31
How was military power measured historically?
Number of troops or ships
32
How is military power measured now?
Defence spending
33
Why is the number of troops a country has not as important in determining military power?
As technology has advanced, the best militaries have access to the most high-tech equipment
34
What countries have nuclear weapons?
China, UK, USA, India, Iran, Pakistan, France, Israel, North Korea (?)
35
What is a 'mutually assured destruction'?
The result of two nuclear superpowers having a nuclear war
36
Example of a TNC that spreads American culture
Disney
37
What demographic characteristic has allowed China to become a superpower?
Large population
38
Population of China
1.4bn
39
Population of USA
326m
40
Why is having a large population advantageous to a country?
- Access to labour
- Access to large domestic market
41
Example of a powerful country with a small population
Singapore (5.6m)
42
What natural resource allowed the UK to industrialise?
Coal
43
What natural resources is the USA rich in?
Iron/steel and oil
44
Why is having access to natural resources useful?
Countries can become rich from trading them with places without the resource
45
Example of a poor place with plenty of natural resources
Africa
46
Example of an African country with lots of oil
Nigeria
47
Why is Africa not rich despite its natural resources?
- Colonisation took much of the wealth
- Corruption and instability
- Limited infrastructure
48
Year of MacKinder's Geo-Strategic Location Theory
1904
49
MacKinder's Geo-Strategic Location Theory
- Whoever controlled Europe and Asia would control the world
- This is because they are the biggest landmass
- He believed physical size was essential to superpower status
50
Where was MacKinder's "pivot" area?
A stretch from Eastern Europe into Russia. He believed whoever controlled this 'heartland' would be the global superpower as they control the middle of Eurasia.
51
According to MacKinder's theory, who would be global superpower?
Russia
52
How did MacKinder say the 'heartland' could shift over time?
If sea power became more dominant, countries like the UK with strong navies could dominate the world.
53
Where was the global economic centre pre-1800?
China
54
Where is the 'pivot' point in the 21st century?
Moving towards China as it grows in influence
55
What is soft power?
When a country influences through culture, politics or economics (not forceful)
56
What is hard power?
When a country influences through coercive measures. This is usually economic sanctions or military force.
57
Example of the USA imposing economic sanctions
Sanctions were placed on Iran due to their nuclear program
58
What process has made soft power more important?
Globalisation
59
What countries were the main colonial powers?
Netherlands, Britain, Spain, France and Portugal
60
How did the British Empire benefit from colonialism?
They extracted other countries' natural resources for their own economic gain
61
Example of the British Empire exerting hard power?
In 1919, at the Jallinwala Bagh Massacre, 380 Indian protesters were killed by British forces
62
What is neo-colonialism?
Where less-developed countries are still indirectly controlled by superpowers through economic, cultural and political methods (soft power)
63
How is China trying to grow its soft power?
By investing in infrastructure in developing countries, particularly Africa
64
Example of Chinese-African infrastructure project
1,400km Nigerian coastal railway is being built by a nationalised Chinese engineering company
65
What two superpowers were involved in the Cold War?
Soviet Union and USA
66
What alliances formed during the Cold War?
- NATO
- Warsaw Pact
67
How did the USA spread their influence following WW2?
The Marshall Plan gave $12bn financial aid to countries damaged by the war.
68
Why did the USA introduce the Marshall Plan?
To stop the spread of communism. They believed poverty was the root cause of communism.
69
What two areas of the world did the USA invest in following WW2 to stop the spread of communism?
- Europe
- East Asia (Japan, Korea, etc)
70
What is McCarthyism?
The act of accusing people of being communist supporters without much evidence. This happened lots in the USA in the 1950s.
71
Example of a post-WW2 hard power invasion by the Soviet Union
The Hungarian Revolution in 1956. The leader was executed and communism installed.
72
What event marked the end of the Cold War?
The fall of the Berlin wall in 1989
73
What are the BRIC nations?
Brazil, Russia, India, China
Emerging economies, potential superpowers
74
Why has the USA struggled to maintain its superpower status in the 21st century?
- Emergence of BRIC nations
- Russia is re-emerging following the collapse of the USSR in 1991
75
How far behind are the BRIC nations compared to the USA?
The combined economies of the four BRIC nations is only 92% of the USA's GDP
76
What country is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases?
China
77
How many Chinese people were lifted out of poverty 2012-2017?
68m
78
China's gini coefficient rating
0.474
(A reasonably unequal society)
79
Despite both China and the USA having high GDP, do they have comparative GDP per capita?
No - China's GDP per capita is only 10% of the USA's.
80
Top 3 militaries in the world
(Source: 2018 Global Fire Power Review)
1. USA
2. Russia
3. China
81
How many aircrafts does China have?
3,035
82
How many aircrafts does the USA have?
13,363
83
What is a blue water navy?
A navy with a global reach
84
Example of Chinese culture spread into the West
Chinese food is extremely popular
85
Fertility rate in China
1.57 - significantly below replacement level so the population is ageing
86
Example of air pollution affecting Chinese citizens' wellbeing
PE lessons had to be moved indoors so children weren't exposed to the air pollution for too long
87
Why is Brazil the regional power in South America?
They produce half the region's GDP
88
What rate is Brazil's economy growing?
2.3%
89
What economic challenges does Brazil potentially face?
Their economy is largely based on primary exports (e.g. beef), which is less stable than manufacturing
90
Economic advantages of Brazil
- Huge supply of natural resources
- Self-sufficient in food and energy
- 10th largest oil producer
91
Why is Brazil's military not as strong as other nations?
Their military spending as a percentage of GDP has been falling since 1985
92
Political characteristics of Brazil
- Unstable, many protests
- Strikes disrupt industry (e.g. in 2016 truckers went on strike)
- Lots of government corruption
93
What are some cultural exports of Brazil?
- Sport (2014 World Cup, 2016 Olympics)
- Rio carnival
94
Why does language limit Brazil?
Portuguese is not widely spoken which limits its cultural export ability
95
What are some demographic advantages of Brazil?
Young population (median age 30)
96
Why is having an economy overdependent on oil and gas a problem for Russia?
Makes it very vulnerable to price fluctuations
97
Examples of Russia involving itself in world conflicts
- Played a major role in the Syrian civil war
- One of world's largest arms exporters. Sent arms to Nigeria to combat Boko Haram
98
Problems with Russian military
- Aging equipment, much of which is from USSR times
- Has half the number of active personnel as China
99
What year did Russia hold the World Cup?
2018
100
World Systems Theory
- 1974
- Developed by Wallerstein
- Core and periphery
101
What is the core in the World Systems Theory?
- Core areas drive the world's economy
- They import raw materials and turn them into goods
- Through this process they make a profit
102
What is the periphery in the World Systems theory?
Raw materials come from the periphery and these countries lose out
103
How does the World Systems theory explain unequal trading patterns?
- Since the colonial era, the core has benefitted from the periphery
- The Western core consumes 75% of goods and services
104
What is the 'positive feedback loop' described in Dependency Theory?
Developing nations cannot add value to the products they sell as they do not have the infrastructure or expertise
105
What country has promoted Modernisation Theory?
USA
106
What is Modernisation Theory?
A theory that if you reform institutions into capitalism this will fix world poverty
107
What is the aim of the Bretton Woods institutions?
Set up following WWII to promote capitalism and focused on currency stability and development loans
108
What is One Belt One Road?
China investing in rail and sea infrastructure in countries like Myanmar and Kazakhstan through loans
109
Aim of One Belt One Road?
- Earn money on loan interest
- Chinese businesses earn money from the projects
- Better trade infrastructure increases Chinese trade with its neighbours
110
Example of a One Belt One Road project
In Hanoi, Vietnam, new airport and rail systems were created using Chinese funding
111
Why are some people critical of One Belt One Road?
They fear China is trying to spread their influence throughout Asia to increase their power
(India stopped supporting it in 2019)
112
When did Pakistan develop nuclear weapons?
1998
113
Example of a country that has developed nuclear weapons to increase its military power?
Pakistan - mostly because their neighbours India also have them
114
What does OPEC stand for?
Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries
115
Example of OPEC's influence
In 1973 they reduced the amount of oil they produced which raised oil prices around the world
116
Aim of the IMF?
- Stabalise global currencies
- Provide loans to developing countries
117
What is a Structural Adjustment Program (SAP)?
- When the IMF gives a loan to a developing country, they must agree to one
- Cause a country to impose more free-market capitalism and cut funds to public services
118
Aim of the World Bank?
- Provides loans to developing countries
- Provides finance following natural disasters and in humanitarian emergencies
119
Long-term goal of the World Bank example
Decrease number of people living on less than $1.90 a day to no more than 3%
120
What is the World Economic Forum (WEF)?
- Not-for-profit Swiss organisation
- Aim is to bring together businesses and governments to serve their mutual interests
121
Aim of the World Trade Organisation (WTO)?
Ensure free trade is easy between countries so capitalism can thrive
122
How many members are in the WTO?
164
(notable exceptions include North Korea)
123
Disney was the most valuable media company in the world in 2018. Why is this important for the US?
Through spreading their cultural values in media they are exerting soft power
124
What is a patent?
A document granting a person/company exclusive rights to intellectual property (e.g. a product they have created). Anyone else who wants to sell the product must pay royalties to the patent holder.
125
How many of the top 10 TNCs were American in 2006?
6/10
This had fallen to 3/10 in 2015
126
How many of the top 10 TNCs were American in 2006 and 2015?
6/10
This had fallen to 3/10 in 2015
127
How much aid did the USA give Haiti following the 2010 earthquake?
$5.1bn
128
Impact of US aid on Haiti's health
- 164 new clinics
- 72,000 children vaccinated
129
21st century example of the USA acting as the 'global police'?
Military intervention in Afghanistan
130
What year was NATO formed?
1949
131
How many military personnel from NATO are currently active around the world?
Around 20,000
132
What is the criteria needed to enter NATO?
Defence spending must be 2% of GDP
133
Examples of military alliances
- NATO
- ANZUS (USA, Australia and NZ)
134
Examples of economic alliances
- EU
- NAFTA (USA, Mexico, Canada)
135
What is the aim of the UN security council?
To prevent conflict and maintain international peace
136
Who are the 5 permanent members on the UN security council?
USA
UK
France
China
Russia
137
What is a problem with the UN security council?
Russia and China are permanent members and can veto any action that could harm their global influence and status
138
Examples of current UN peacekeeping missions
- Haiti
- DRC
- Middle East
139
What is the UN Court of Justice?
A court to sort out disputes with UN member countries
140
Who is the world's biggest consumer of energy?
China
141
8.8m tonnes of plastic in the oceans could be traced back to which country?
China
(the US only 0.3m tonnes)
142
How much did China's cereal consumption rise 2000-2018?
364%
143
In what years has the price of wheat doubled?
2000-17
144
What was the EU's 2020 climate goal?
- Cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20%
- 20% energy consumption from renewables
145
How has Russia been affected by climate change?
Extreme weather events are becoming much more common and economic damage is expected to reach $4.3bn a year for the Moscow region
146
How did Trump reduce the US' commitment to reducing climate change?
In May 2018 he ended the $10m per year program by NASA to monitor global carbon emissions
147
Why is it bad that the demand for meat is growing?
Raising cattle releases methane and is also very water intensive
148
How much did China's meat consumption increase 2000-18?
99%
149
What is an Exclusive Economic Zone?
An area (including the ocean) which a country claims is their economic area and can therefore exploit resources in that area
150
UN Convention on Law of the Seas
Says that a country can control the sea bed and resources within 200 nautical miles of its coastline
151
Why is there tension between superpowers over the Arctic?
- The EEZs overlap and many different countries claim the same area
- There will be a future need to exploit oil and gas in these areas
152
What percentage of counterfeit goods found in 2017 were from China?
88%
153
Why is counterfeiting bad for superpower relations?
TNCs are less likely to invest in a country if they think their products will be exploited
154
How much is the counterfeit goods market worth?
Half a trillion dollars a year
155
Why did the EU put a tariff on Chinese steel in 2018?
They claim Chinese companies were selling steel in Europe for less than the cost it takes to make them
156
What year did Russia annex Crimea from the Ukraine?
2014
157
What are the names of the two island groups in the South China Sea that have territorial disputes with many countries?
Paracels
Spratlys
158
Why do countries have territorial disputes over tiny, uninhabited islands?
- They are strategically useful for military
- They may have resources that can be exploited
- Expands a country's EEZ
159
What resources does China hope to gain from Africa?
- Oil
- Copper
- Cobalt
- Iron ore
160
How much was Chinese-African trade worth in 2014?
$220bn
161
Why does China invest in African infrastructure?
To ensure that transport links are good so that Africa can export raw materials to China
162
What are the environmental impacts of China's expansion into Africa?
It often treats poorer African nations as "pollution havens", ruining countries which are desperate for FDI
163
Which African countries have had railroads funded by China?
Ethiopia, Kenya
164
How many Chinese people have moved to Africa since 2005?
1m
165
Which area of China wishes to be an independent country?
Tibet
166
How long is the Chinese-funded coastal railway in Nigeria?
1,400km
167
How did the US create tension in the Middle East in 2018?
Trump said he'd move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem
168
What was the environmental impact of the 2003 Iraq War?
- Toxic smoke was produced by oil fires
- Lots of fuel used: enough to supply 1.1bn people
- Ammunition used contained depleted uranium which contaminated thousands of hectares
169
What is being 'structurally unemployed'?
When you have a limited skill set as an employee (e.g. being a miner) and your industry closes
170
Examples of financial problems for developed countries
- Deindustrialisation
- Debt
- Managing complex economy: 2008 financial crash
171
What expenses come with a recession for governments?
- Higher debt (interest repayments)
- Higher unemployment payouts
172
How do superpowers spend their defence budgets?
- Military
- Intelligence
- Nuclear weapon storage and development
- Space exploration
173
How much did the UK pay in 2016 to renew Trident (UK's nuclear deterrent)?
$20bn
174
What country did economists predict would replace the US as a superpower in the 1980s?
Japan
175
What are three potential patterns of power for the future world?
- Uni-polar: US dominance
- Bi-polar: US and China compete
- Multi-polar: US, China, Russia, India all compete
176
What financial event prevented Japan from becoming a superpower?
The 1997 Asian financial crisis
