superpowers Flashcards
players: what are the role of TNCs in maintaining power and wealth
there are two types of TNC: public TNCs (owned by private shareholders (the public), capitalist, free-market have many of these) and state led TNCs which are owned by governments, found in communist economies or mixed economies (China).
ROLE:
-economic power: dominate the global economy, TNCs account for 80% of global trade.
-trade routes: their economic power influences trade patterns and thus locations of areas of growth through FDI. Partially responsible for the global shift
-Technology: they invest large profits into new products. A patent is a legal protection given to a new invention, other countries can use it but have to pay royalties so TNCs can gain money via this. The WTO enforces intellectual property rights
players: what is the role of powerful countries as the global police
-superpowers are expected to act as global policemen
-China does not accept this role as it comes at an economic cost
They act to:
-intervene in war and conflict
-take action in terms of crisis response (natural disaster or disease outbreak)
-respond to terrorism
-respond to long term threats such as climate change
Examples include:
WAR- the USA has led a global effort to prevent terrorism
2010 HATI EARTHQUAKE- USA used naval force and air force to help, medical, food and infrastructure aid.
-2014 EBOLA epidemic- medical assets
what are the actions an attitudes of global IGOs in promoting geopolitical stability
-attempted to create a new world order of peace
-the most powerful decision making body within the EU is the security council
-the security council makes decisions such as: taking military action against countries seen to be breaking law or persecuting people OR they can apply economic or diplomatic sanctions to countries to try and force them to change behaviour
-The UN is important in ways such as: peace keeping missions can be set up by the UN and UNFCCC can help inform debates on climate change thus shaping the Paris agreement and COP
what are the attitudes and actions of different countries in terms of acting on climate change
there is a high level of concern around CC in Africa and Latin America, both have low levels of CO2 emissions and CC could severely impact farmers that depend on rainfall as a water supply and crops for food. Brazil has drastically slowed forest loss and china has become the worlds biggest investor in renewable wind and solar power. The USA has ‘climate specism’. After the paris agreement many countries agreed to reduce emissions.
what are the attitudes and actions in relation to resources
curing conflict, trade routes and supply is blocked.
Tensions then may arise if countries tend to obtain more territory. Countries can gain land/ natural resources by: invasion of another country, claiming offshore, undersea resources by expanding a countries EEZ.
examples: Russia and Ukraine war, Artic oil and gas (military patrol has increased in the artic). Environmental disaster of oil spillage in the Artic is high. More natural resources may be exploited in the artic if resources are depleted elsewhere.
Players: what do emerging powers do in order to develop further (China and Africa)
China is invested in Africa. It wants to exploit africas resources. They have an interdependence on each other. Their relationship is based on trade. China has invested huge sums of money into HEP, railways, ports and roads. Mining and oil exploitation has caused deforestation, oil spills and water pollution. Cheap Chinese imported goods have undercut local sellers products
Attitudes and actions, what are the contrasting cultural ideologies in the middle east
the middle east has tensions due to a multitude of reasons:
-most Muslim countries are hostile towards israel (USA is an ally of Israel)
-religious differences between sunni and shia
-since 2011, the extremist group Islamic state in iraq and syria has created wars, terrorism and refugee crisis.
- The kurdish people are demanding their own state
-the complex web of alliances and geopolitical relations in the middle east is an ongoing challenge to stability. Russia and slightly China support Iran while the USA and EU lean towards Saudi Arabia.
-globally, there are 3 contrasting ideologies: Western capitalism, the muslim world and asian beliefs
what is the future of power structures and what are the uncertainties
3 possible scenarios:
1) unipolar- USA
2) Bi-polar- (China vs USA)
3)Multipolar- (the USA and EU decline relatively to increasingly powerful BRICs)
By 2030, the Chinese economy is likely to be a simmilar size in that of the USA
Unknowns: The EU, Russia and even China all face the prospects of rapidly ageing populations that may diminish their status
