Superpowers Flashcards

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1
Q

What is hard power? Give examples.

A

Using military as a part of international diplomacy.

Examples:
* Sending arms - $400 million of arms sent to Ukraine from the USA to fight back against Russia. Includes Javelin missiles.
* Proxy wars - funding and supporting one side of a war - Syrian Civil war, syrian opposition supported by the USA vs the Syrian Arab republic supported by the USA.
* Undeclared wars/invasion - US invasion of Afghanistan- 2.1 trillion on that war.

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2
Q

What is soft power? Give examples.

A

Cultural, ideological and economic pursuasion approach to international relations.

Examples:
* State-media being exported across the world such as Al-Jazeera and BBC.
* TNCs such as McDonalds and Disney spreading american ideals through glocalisation and americanisation.
* Trade agreements and blocks.
* Foreign Direct investment - in 2020, China offered to build HS2 in 5 years and for less money.

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3
Q

What are the BRICS?

A
  • Comprise over 40% of the worlds population.
  • Group of 5 emerging economies. 1/5th of the world’s GDP.
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4
Q

What are the three superpower societies?

A
  • Imperialist
  • Capitalist
  • Communism
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5
Q

What is Rostow’s modernisation theory (take off theory)

A

As time goes on, an economy develops into:
1. Traditional Society
2. Pre-conditions for take-off - increasing profits from farming and improving infrastructure. Developing industries.
3. Take-off - manufacturing industries begin to become the main sector of the economy.
4. Drive to maturity - Older industries get replaced with new technology and economic growth spreads out to all sectors
of the economy
5. High mass consumption - Large middle class, social nets and services are accessible.

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6
Q

Frank’s dependence theory (Marxist)

A

Core countries take resources from the periphery, in return they pay of debts, trade with manufactured goods and loans. Brain drain towards the core countries.

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7
Q

Wallerstein’s world’s systems theory.

A

Core, semi-periphery, periphery.

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8
Q

What is intellectual property?

A

Anything that that has been designed by someone but is not yet created and can be protected by copyright and patents.

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9
Q

What are the issues surrounding intellectual property?

A
  • An estimated 5-10% of world trade is in counterfeit goods.
  • Damages TNC brand image
  • Costs G20 countries $85 billion per year.
  • undercuts heavy investment in technology
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10
Q

What “solutions” are there for counterfeiting?

A
  • 2011 Anti Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. USA and EU pushed for it, whereas China didn’t sign it.
  • Gucci have taken Chinese banks to court for supporting counterfeiting. Chinese say banks are sovereign and can’t be prosecuted and won’t release evidence.
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11
Q

Where does the majority of counterfeited goods come from?

A

China, 63.2%

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12
Q

How have IGOs maintained world security?

A
  • Encourage discourse and democratic resolutions in the UN security council. 5 permanent members can overturn votes. Russia has done it 120 times.
  • Conflict prevention and resolution. Rwandan Genocide, limited presence.
  • Sanctions and verdicts for war criminals and genocidal leaders - International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for people who commit war crimes. Israel opposes to their listing of war crimes due to their occupation of Palestine being defined as one.
  • Maintain economic security. Jamaica austerity policies by the IMF.
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13
Q

How have IGOs maintained economic security?

A
  • Promoting FDI - EU and WTO
  • Promoting immigration - EU Schengen area.
  • Stabilising economies such as Jamaica - IMF.
  • Promoting free trade - EU.
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14
Q

How have IGOs maintained environmental security?

A
  • 1987 Montreal Protocol for the ozone layer. 46 signature. Hole in ozone layer depletes in size and continuously closes.
  • CITES 1975 - banning trade of endangered species and Ivory hunting. We markets in China still exist today.
  • 2015 Climate Accord.
  • Antarctic Treaty 1959, states there will be no economic exploitation of Antarctica. Has stayed true. Russia and China voted for the 6th time in 2022 against establishment of new marine protected areas.
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14
Q

To what extent can China claim to be a superpower?

A
  • Demographic superpower - Second largest population of 1.4 billion people.
  • Economic super power - accounted for 17% of the world’s exports in 2016
  • Military spending - second largest spending in the world, $224 billion in 2023. USA spending is $1.99 Trillion.
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15
Q

The effects of chinese neo-colonisation

A
  • “Debt Traps” - Chinese built Hambantota port in Sri lanka has now been leased to China for 99 years to pay out their loans to China for the project. Western media overexaggerates this.
  • Developing countries begin turning towards China and backing their interests. Pakistan made a joint statement with 70 countries at the UN security council to stay out of China’s business over the Uyghur situation. Pakistan has a port built by the Chinese in Gwadar.
16
Q

Why are BRICs a threat environmentally and geopolitically?

A
  • Alternative to western IGOs:
  • New Development Bank to help fund infrastructure across the world $50 billion budget.
  • New contingent reserve arrangement, alternative to world bank. $100 billion budget.
  • Neocolonialism from China.
  • Increased deforestation in Brazil and China due to economic growth.
17
Q

How do superpowers and emerging nations affect global decision making?

A
  • Overthrowing governments - Saddam Hussein was assassinated and replaced after the Iraq War. Supposed involvement in 1961 assassination of DRC’s Lumumba.

*Through the UN security council, ability to Veto votes.

*Neo-colonialism influencing countries in favour of certain countries.

18
Q

What are the advantages of emerging powers on the world stage?

A
  • “Not american” bias. Emerging powers have the advantage of not being associated with the USA and other western nations and their neo-colonialism and global policing.
  • Regional dominance - Countries around the regional yet emerging power may rally behind them due to them having an affinity for local politics and affairs, unlike far away nations such as the USA.
19
Q

Likelihood of a multi-power world:

A
  • New economic power China - 17% of world’s exports in 2016.
  • New alliances and economic powers - BRICs, Russia’s hard power in Central Africa combating French Neo-colonialism, along with supporting Syria’s Bashar Al-Assad.
    *USA is still the major military power.
20
Q

What percentage of REEs in the world belong to China

A

77%