Superpowers Flashcards
What are the 2 case studies for the use of hard power in maintaining superpower status?
Russia-Ukraine conflict, British Empire
When did Russia invade Ukraine and why?
Feb 2022, feared that Ukraine would join NATO so smaller alliance of countries and loss of a physical barrier
What fraction of the world’s population did the British Empire reign over at its height?
Over 1/4 of the population
What was the British Empire used as a vehicle for?
Trade, political influence, diffusion of English language
What part of the British Raj did the British Empire capitalise on?
Large population and soldiering being an honourable tradition in India –> became backbone of military power
What is the case study for soft power?
Ghana (IMF)
When did Ghana become a crude oil-exporting nation and by what % has production risen by?
December 2010, 173%
What % of Ghana’s finished petroleum products are imported back into Ghana?
80%
What is the case study for cultural neo-colonialism?
Apple (soft power)
What has Apple become as a result of technological innovation and advertising (cultural neo-colonialism)?
Most powerful brand in the world
How much more does Apple have in cash reserves than the US government (cultural neo-colonialism)?
3x more
What is the case study for political neo-colonialism?
World Bank (reinforces hegemony of US)
What is economic/political decision-making by the World Bank dependent on and what % of this is held by developed nations?
Voting, 60% voting shares held by developed nations
What is the case study for miltary neo-colonialism?
Saudi Arabia
What % of global oil reserves does Saudi Arabia hold and which country is Saudi Arabia in conflict with (military neo-colonialism)?
60%, Iran
Who is supplying arms to Saudi Arabia (military neo-colonialism)?
USA
What are the BRIC countries (emerging powers)?
Brazil, Russia, India, China
What is a strength of Russia?
Large oil and gas reserves so huge export potential
What is a weakness of Russia?
Difficult relations with the rest of the world and now has economic sanctions after Ukraine invasion
What is a strength of China?
One Belt One Road initiative distributes wealth more evenly across the country
What is a weakness of China?
Conflict with US as One Belt One Road will bypass heavily US-dominated maritime routes, conflict with India over growing influence
What are 2 strengths of India?
Large, youthful population (65% under 35) so strong workforce, 2nd largest English-speaking country in the world so benefit from outsourcing
What are 2 weaknesses of India?
Don’t have good coastal protection, potential conflict with China over China’s growing influence
Which 3 IGOs do superpowers influence the global economy with (promote free trade/capitalism)?
IMF, World Bank, WTO (see migration for 7.3a)
What are the 3 ways that TNCs can develop the economic/political dominance of a superpower?
- Offshoring/outsourcing
- Brand value
- Lobbying national gov.s
How does offshoring/outsourcing of TNCs develop the economic dominance of the USA (includes app.)?
Production offshored/outsourced to countries with cheaper labour so decreased cost of production, Apple is largest taxpayer so more profit means more corp. tax for USA
How does the brand value of TNCs develop the economic dominance of the USA (includes app.)?
TNCs important in westernisation, Apple works with global media TNC Comcast to advertise their products which encourages consumerism and western ideologies e.g. capitalism which reinforces economic hegemony of USA
What proportion of people own an iPhone globally and what was Apple’s brand value in 2022?
1 in 7, $335 billion
What is the case study for TNCs lobbying national gov.s developing the economic/political dominance of the USA?
Ghana
Which US TNC relies on cocoa resources from Ghana (TNCs lobbying national gov.s and developing economic/political dominance of USA)?
Mars
How does TNCs lobbying national gov.s develop the economic/political dominance of the USA?
Ghana imports most of its finished chocolate goods at an inflated price which reduces economic/political power of Ghana and maintains US hegemony
What is the application for capitalism leading to the growth of TNCs?
In 2022 Apple had a market value of $3 trillion
How does capitalism lead to the growth of TNCs?
Promotes private ownership of businesses with little regulation on economic growth/profit through offshoring/outsourcing which leads to economies of scale (reduces competition) so TNCs can reinvest into research + development to produce new technologies which facilitates growth
What is the linked evaluation for the UN?
Any permanent members can veto a decision which leads to lack of progress towards the aim of collective security
When did Russia veto the Ukraine solution (UN linked evaluation)?
Feb 2022
What is the linked evaluation for UNSC sanctions?
Placed sanctions on North Korea to slow development of nuclear weapons but uneven implementations from different nations so resulted in illicit economies which resulted in increasingly significant economic relations with China and Russia
When did China and Russia veto the sanctions suggested by the USA on North Korea (UNSC sanctions evaluation)?
May 2022
What is the linked evaluation for UNSC peacekeepers?
Brought cholera to Haiti during MINSUTAH which resulted in 10,000 deaths, didn’t intervene in Rwanda conflict which resulted in 800,000 deaths
What are the 2 military alliances?
NATO (founded on collective security), ANZUS (Australia, NZ, USA)
What must all members of NATO pledge?
Have to spend 2% of their GDP on military
How does NATO increase interdependence?
Countries support each other with troops, equipment, and training
How is NATO important in geostrategy?
Promotes peace and stability, counters ‘communist threat’ from Russia and China
What are the 3 economic alliances?
EU, USMCA (USA, Mexico, Canada), ASEAN
How does the EU increase interdependence?
Free movement of goods, services, and people
How is the EU important in geostrategy?
More closely-linked than non-member countries which improves stability, negotiation power, and combines economic power
How does the USMCA increase interdependence?
Increased trade makes countries more connected by flow of goods and capital as they rely on one another more for export revenue
How is the UMSCA important in geostrategy?
Improves political relationships
What is the 1 environmental alliance?
IPCC
How does the IPCC increase interdependence?
Creates wider awareness and understanding of climate change and the need for international cooperation to counter it
How is the IPCC important in geostrategy?
Most countries want to be seen tackling climate change for fear of global condemnation
What impact does the increased consumption of beef have on the environment?
More cows so more livestock farming so increased CH4 so increased greenhouse effect leads to re-radiation of infrared radiation so thawing cryosphere and eustatic sea level rise so less sunlight reaches coral reefs so less photosynthesis and coral growth so loss of biodiversity
What % of the world’s coal consumption occurs in China and what % of the world’s steel is produced in China?
Both 50%
What % of global carbon emissions are produced by China?
27%
What is the linked evaluation for production in China creating negative environmental impacts?
China investing significantly into green/renewable technology
What proportion of the world’s top solar panel manufacturers are Chinese/owned?
5 of the world’s top 6 are Chinese-owned
What has the proportion of families in China who own a car increased to since 2000 (oil resource usage)?
From 1 in 100 families to 1 in 5 since 2000
What devices are rare earth metals used in and what proportion of people have this product (rare earth metals resource usage)?
Electronic, medical and laser devices, estimated that 1 in 7 people own an iPhone
What devices are commonly used in the USA and EU which increase water consumption (water resource usage)?
Washing machines, dishwashers, showers
Why will resource demand in the USA and EU likely remain static (resource usage)?
Most people are already wealthy so demand for additional resources will be met by the increasingly efficient use of existing resources
What % of the global supply of oil and natural gas is located in the Arctic?
13% of oil, 25% of natural gas
At what rate is Arctic sea ice decreasing?
13% per decade
Which 3 countries are interested in making territorial claims on Lomonosov Ridge?
Russia, Denmark, Canada
How many barrels of oil does the South China Sea contain?
11 billion
What proportion of global trade takes place via the South China Sea?
1/3
What did China say it has over the South China Sea?
Historical sovereignty to virtually the entire sea via its nine-dash-line policy (added a tenth line in 2013 which included Taiwan)
Which nations contest China’s claims over the South China Sea?
Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, the Philippines
What has China done to increase its physical presence and military action among the disputed islands in the South China Sea?
Built new islands e.g. Mischief Reef
How have tensions over the South China Sea affected global trade (includes app.)?
China cancelled contracted shipments of rare earths to Japan after Chinese military vessel was seized which impacted economic growth and incomes
How have tensions over the South China Sea affected food insecurity?
Disputes over fishing rights so reduced stock and uncertainty leads to fishermen working harder for less
How has island-building in the South China Sea affected the environment (includes app.)?
Coral reefs in South China have been declining at a rate of 16% per decade
What do intellectual property rights do?
Prevent new inventions from being copied illegally, have a system of royalty payments for the rights to use IP developed by someone else
What % of royalty payments go to the USA, Japan, and western Europe?
80%
What % of China’s GDP do counterfeit goods sales account for?
5-8%
Which 2 car companies have Chinese car companies copied car designs from?
BMW and Mercedes
What might TNCs do if they fear intellectual property theft in China?
Limit investment into China
Why are trade deals with China made more difficult by intellectual property theft?
There has been a failure to tackle intellectual property theft
What was China’s investment into Kenya?
$3 billion railway
How was China’s investment into Kenya funded?
By loans granted by China’s state-owned Export-Import Bank
What is the difference in trade values between the US and Africa and China and Africa?
US and Africa: $48 billion, China and Africa: $128 billion
What 2 environmental concerns have arisen due to Chinese investment into Zambia?
- Serious pollution of air, water + land
- Damaged wildlife habitats
What social concern has arisen due to Chinese investment into Zambia?
Local communities displaced without adequate compensation
What will CPEC investment do for China?
New trading route to the Indian Ocean so US maritime routes can be bypassed
What will CPEC investment do for Pakistan?
Provides FDI which helps to stimulate economic growth
How does conflict in the Middle East create a challenge for superpowers (resources)?
Saudi Arabia holds 60% of the world’s oil but security of the oil supply could be threatened by internal or regional conflict
How does conflict in the Middle East create a challenge for superpowers (tensions)?
USA/EU support Saudi Arabia but Russia/China support Iran, support comes in the form of the supply of arms which prolongs conflict
How do tensions arise in the Middle East (environmental)?
85% water in Syria inefficiently used in agriculture so hydrological drought so more rural-urban migration so increased strain on urban resources so growing resentments within pop. so catalyst for 2010 Arab Springs uprisings
What is an economic challenge faced by the EU (includes app.)?
2008 economic crisis resulted in debts which were 90% of the UK’s GDP
What is a linked evaluation to superpowers facing economic challenges (includes app.)?
The USA has many large global TNCs such as Apple
What is a demographic challenge faced by the EU (app.)?
By 2025 20% of EU citizens will be aged 65+
What is a linked evaluation to superpowers facing demographic challenges?
The US pop. is ageing at a slower rate than the EU and social costs tend to be borne by individuals, not the gov.
What is a resource challenge faced by the EU?
EU energy security relies on oil and gas imports from Russia
What is a linked evaluation to superpowers facing resource challenges?
USA is increasingly energy secure due to oil and gas fracking
What was the US’ military spend in 2021?
$800 billion
Why is the US’ military spend controversial (includes app.)?
USA must spend this money in order to remain a superpower but harder to justify when 11.8% of pop. were living in poverty in 2018
How many nuclear warheads does Russia have and what is the importance of nuclear arsenal?
5,977, acts as a deterrent against any potential adversaries
How large is China’s air force and why is having a strong air force an advantage?
3rd largest, gives nation ability to control ultimate high ground which is essential to winning a war
