Superpowers

Question 1

Define superpower

Answer 1

A nation with the ability to project its influence anywhere in the world.

Question 2

Sources of superpower power?

Answer 2

Economic, political, military, cultural, demographic, and access to resources.

Question 3

Hard power versus soft power

Answer 3

hard power- power through force and coercion
soft power - power through favor and persuasion

Question 4

Heartland theory / Mackinder’s Geostrategic location theory

Answer 4

The most important superpower is the one which controls the heartland - controlling it gives access to the surrounding areas. The heartland is the central region of Eurasia

Question 5

Strength and weaknesses of heartland theory

Answer 5

Weaknesses - The theory is outdated and does not consider global shifts
land mass matters less today
soft power is now more common
we can now trade to get resources

Question 6

pros and cons of hard power

Answer 6

Pros - generating hard power takes less time
it is more effective in the short term
Cons - hard to obtain for less developed, involuntary, can lead to further instability, viewed negatively, expensive.

Question 7

pros And cons of soft power

Answer 7

Small states can easily build, long duration, changes attitudes, long term, large scale benefits.

However, must be built up over time, depends on particular circumstances, and cultural influence does not equal political power

Question 8

How has the world become more multipolar since 2008?

Answer 8

USA lost economic strength china experiencing economic and military growth.

Question 9

How is China spreading its global reach in Latin America?

Answer 9

China will lend ten billion dollars to a Brazilian oil company for 160,000 barrels of crude oil a day for 10 years

Question 10

Changing patterns of power

Answer 10

1800s direct colonial control eg the British Empire moving to a multipolar world from 1919 to 1939.
From 1945 to 1990 the pattern of power was bipolar between the USA and USSR.
collapse of communism - unipolar with the US at the forefront of power.
many believe the future of the world is multipolar - US, China, EU.

Question 11

Examples of hard and soft power within the British Empire.

Answer 11

Hard - Britain bought the biggest shareholding in the suez canal
defeating China in the opium wars
putting down rebellions with force. - india

Soft - steamship and telegraph development maintaining the balance of power.

Question 12

what does neocolonialism include?

Answer 12

A debt aid relationship where developing countries are in debt.
poor Terms of Trade.
Brain drain.
Taking advantage of a vulnerable country using smart power

Question 13

The rise of China

Answer 13

securing raw materials from Africa
Illustrating its influence
30% of energy imports in China are from Africa
africa earns money from exports to China
china’s reputation with other countries worsens.

Question 14

G20

Answer 14

Includes the EU and countries like Turkey South Korea Saudi Arabia. Their economy’s account for 85% of the world’s GDP and trade.

Question 15

China’s economic growth.

Answer 15

China has an economic growth of 9% per year over the last 30 years.

Question 16

Future Uncertainties about superpower status.

Answer 16

Ageing population, war, resource depletion, military growth, global economy.

Question 17

Strengths and weaknesses of Brazil.

Answer 17

Strength - 6.3% share of global territory rich in natural resources.
weakness - economy vulnerable to changing commodity prices, issues of deforestation.

Question 18

Strengths and weaknesses of Russia.

Answer 18

Strength - produces 12% of the world’s oil and is the largest natural gas exporter.
Weakness - very dependent on oil and gas exports unstable political system.

Question 19

Strength and weaknesses of India

Answer 19

Strength - increasing emerging middle class coming out of poverty. Decrease of infant deaths since 2020.
Weakness - lowest GDP in the BRICS countries.

Question 20

Strength and weakness of China.

Answer 20

Strength - China’s population of 1.37 billion people creates a large workforce.
Weakness - too dependent on exports (26% of GDP)

Question 21

Stability of a unipolar world.

Answer 21

Hyperpower unlikely to maintain control everywhere. E.G British Empire.

Question 22

Stability of a bipolar world

Answer 22

Stability depends on diplomatic channels of communication
involves high tension E.G Cold War.

Question 23

Stability of a multipolar world.

Answer 23

Complex geopolitical situation could contribute towards wars. creates a power vacuum.

Question 24

Modernization theory/take-off model. (rostow’s model)

Answer 24

Suggests that economic development begins when preconditions are met such as infrastructure, education and effective government.

Question 25

Strengths and weaknesses of modernization theory.

Answer 25

Strengths - easy to categorize a country, development can be clearly illustrated on a graph.
Weaknesses - does not acknowledge development through use of loans and aid
outdated as some countries have skipped steps
does not acknowledge cultural factors

Question 26

dependency theory.

Answer 26

Countries become dependent upon colonial powers more powerful countries exploit weaker countries’ resources.
the core exploits the periphery
the core gets wealthier and the periphery remains poor.

Question 27

Strengths and weaknesses of dependency theory.

Answer 27

Strengths- incorporates politics and economics
takes into account inequality.
Weaknesses - does not account for anomalies such as India and China
does not take into account regions only countries, very simple.

Question 28

Wallerstein’s world systems theory

Answer 28

Treats the whole world as a single unit, capitalist development led to cycles of growth and stagnation, world divided into core, semi-periphery and periphery.

Question 29

strengths and weaknesses of world systems theory.

Answer 29

Strengths - recognizes the dependency on the core by the periphery.
Weaknesses - does not observe internal factors such as poor leadership, no clear dividing line between core and periphery.

Question 30

How do superpowers influence the global economy through IGO’s.

Answer 30

• They helped to maintain the hegemony of Western capitalism
• keep powerful nations talking and negotiating making - key decisions about economy conflicts and environment.

Question 31

World Trade Organization example of influence.

Answer 31

In 1995 they stopped the Ghanaian government from paying subsidies to farmers in order ot let them join. farmers now suffer from imports of subsidized foreign food and find it hard to sell their own products.

Question 32

international Monetary Fund example of influence

Answer 32

The IMF did not allow the Ivory Coast to receive aid until 2013 when its government allowed free presidential elections.

Question 33

World Bank example of influence

Answer 33

It has funded 11,690 projects in 172 countries since 1947.

Question 34

how can superpowers exert their influence through TNCs?

Answer 34

Patents, copyright, trademarks. Investing in research and development royalty fees. In 2019 China ranked number one in patent applications with 1.4 million patents.

Question 35

More about TNCs (4)

Answer 35

• operating like government departments,
  government’s investing in development
  driving economic growth,
  however may become corrupt.

Question 36

How do alliances increase interdependence.

Answer 36

International decision making, global security, increasing superpower strength via allies. increasing the network of military assets spread around the world, increasing global influence.
For example NATO an attack on one member is an attack on all. ANZUS: meant that Australia and New Zealand troops had to join the Afghanistan war in 2015 with the US

Question 37

the UN

Answer 37

set up by Western countries so may not reflect attitudes of emerging powers ICJ may settle issues of international law.

Question 38

Impacts of superpowers on the environment.

Answer 38

Consuming large amounts of resources, usa contributes 27% of carbon dioxide emissions
in 2003 more than 250 Chinese cities were affected by acid rain resulting in $13.3 billion in economic losses.
Brazil’s food production increased by 26% between 2000 and 2012 leading to deforestation.

Question 39

Why are some countries more willing to act than others?

Answer 39

Many people do not believe in climate change. Reducing carbon dioxide emissions is a cost for companies which make some resistant to change.
Any country that initiates change by reducing emissions may suffer in the short term as other countries use the benefits.

Question 40

rare earth elements.

Answer 40

producing one ton of rare earths can produce 2000 tons of toxic waste. The water table is dropping in California

Question 41

south and east China Sea conflict.

Answer 41

Conflict over political ownership of small islands. 40% of liquefied natural gas passes through trade routes. China is not obeying the nautical law of the economic exclusion zone. China is unlikely to compromise with its neighbors. China’s Navy has been expanding and modernizing. The islands are within one of the busiest shipping routes in the world.

Question 42

Arctic conflict.

Answer 42

Conflict over resources between Russia and other areas. Russia has 53% of Arctic frontier. The Arctic is the shortest route from east to West. The Arctic is important for China’s shipping. The Willow Oil drilling project is making climate change much worse.

Question 43

Conflict over Russia’s western border.

Answer 43

Violations of international law preventing a partnership between Ukraine and the west. Severe conflict as lives have been lost and infrastructure is severely damaged. Sanctions on Russian goods and oil

Question 44

Conflict over intellectual property rights.

Answer 44

Counterfeit good sales account for 5 to 8% of China’s GDP trade deals with countries such as China are made harder due to its failure to tackle intellectual property theft. Counterfeit goods could also be unsafe.

Question 45

China’s belt and road initiative.

Answer 45

China aims to reroute global trade by using a series of connecting overland routes and maritime shipping routes and investing in major ports globally. this is creating a web of interdependence as 60 countries are also involved china is taking more control of global trade.

Question 46

Implications of China’s emerging power.

Answer 46

Disputed control over Tibet and Taiwan. India suspicious of China’s relationship with Pakistan. Internationally africa benefits from Chinese FDI. Increasing interdependence between China and Africa. Increased water and air pollution as 40 percent of China’s groundwater is polluted and resource over extraction.

Question 47

Challenges to existing superpowers.

Answer 47

£1.6 trillion of debt in the UK unemployment close to 10% in 2016. Aging population in the EU. Political tensions between EU and Russia. Issues with energy security due to imported oil and gas from Russia.

Question 48

Reasons for and against China replacing the USA as the world superpower.

Answer 48

for - predicted increase in percentage of global gdp; less poverty.
Against - high Air pollution. most royalties go to US, aging population, USA has 9160 more nuclear warheads than China.

Question 49

What are the 4 possible future scenarios.

Answer 49

Unipolar US hegemony, regional mosaic multipolar, bipolar new Cold War, Unipolar Asian century.