Superpowers Flashcards
How does USA exert hyperpower status
- Americanisation / cultural influence
- membership of IGOs
- Geographical location and large population
top 3 GDP in 2018?
USA 15% worlds GDP
China 9% worlds GDP
Japan third- but ill change as has ageing popn
who named the BRICS
Jim O’Neill
Brazil weaknesses
- high priced economy
- poor infrastructure
- too dependent on commodity exports
- highly protectionist
Russia weaknesses
- politically supported oligopoly
- shrinking popn
- dependent on oil and gas exports
- crumbling infrastructure
India Weaknesses
- inefficient gov
- messy democracy
- worsening public finance
- demographic dividend may become liability
China weaknesses
- underdeveloped financial sector
- underdeveloped markets
- rising wages and labour unrest due to
Who predicted rise in BRICS and MINTS nations
Goldman-Sachs bank
Who is included in BRICS+ as of 2023
Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and UAE
Saudi Arabia invited but not officially joined
What is mackinders theory
he classified a region of Eurasia as the ‘heartland’, a geostrategic area
Russia to china, Arctic to Himalayas
whoever controlled the heartland controlled large amount of human and physical resources
After WW1, attempts made to limit Germany expanding into this area
why is mackinders theory a less significant theory
tech has advanced and transportation is easier, shrinking world
resources easily transported around the world
advances in military tech means more global influence without having to colonise nations
USA hyperpower and is on exterior of heartland.
give 3 facts about british empire at its peak
205 of global popn
25% of global land mass
largest blue water navy (2x size of next largest germany)
2 phases of british empire growth
- 1600-1850
small colonies and coastal fringes, raw materials and slaves
british private trade companies - 1850-1945
extended inland, large territories gained, introduced british culture, set up government and complex trade
telegraph and trade used to connect empire
7 pieces of evidence of direct British control over India
- British military personnel emigrated to India to run the Raj
- speaking english and European dress
- governor-general resided in Delhi as a symbol of imperial power
- bridge in Kolkata demonstrated imperial wealth and technical prowess
- acculturation as british traditions (cricket, afternoon tea, english language) introduced
- social order maintained differentiated ruling British from Indians
- Modernisation- 61000km railways allowed troop transport and good and services to Britain
5 key reasons the British empire fell
- the Atlantic charter gave every nation right to be ‘ruled as the choose’
- Britain bankrupt after wear so couldn’t afford to maintain hard power of empire
- lost control of pacific during war, showed they couldn’t defend Singapore region
- had to take loans from USA to rebuild, transferred power
- undermined by ANZUS
what was the cold war
USSR VS USA
45 year stand off between powers
rest of globe aligned with one, proxy wars
USA became increasingly global superpower with worldwide military bases
USSR invaded afghanistan, built a core of countries and allied with Eastern Europe
population of USA and USSR 1989, 1991
USA- 287mil
USSR- 291million
USA and USSR physical resources
USA- self sufficient, imported oil
USSR- self sufficient, exported oil
USA and USSR economic system
usa- capitalist, free market economy, global TNCs
USSR- socialist, centrally planned economy, state owned businesses
USA and USSR political system
usa- democracy, freed elections every 4 years
USSR- single party state with no free elections (dictatorship)
USA and USSR allies
USA- western Europe, nato, ties to japan and south Korea
USSR- Easter Europe (Warsaw pact), Cuba, developing nations
neo- colonial mechanisms of power
- strategic alliance
- Aid
- FDI
Debt
Terms of trade (raw materials no tariff)
rise of China
- rapid sustained economic growth
- USA depend on China for manufactured goods
- investments in Africa resources allow continued growth
- growing military
describe potential polarities
Unipolar- one superpower
Bipolar- two competing superpowers
Multipolar- many emerging powers compete for control in different regions
what are the pillars of power
military
political
cultural influence
access to natural resources
ECONOMIC
what is hard power
using military and economic influence (trade deals and sanctions) to force a country to act a particular way
what is soft power
subtle persuasion of countries to act a particular way, persuader is respected and appealing
political persuasion (diplomacy) and cultural influence
what % of gdp did USA, EU and Japan account for in 2020
52%
features of free market capitalist economy
- people own businesses and employ workers to make profit
- free trade across borders promoted
- dominated by private enterprise instead of gov owned companies
- promote wealth creation and accumulation by individuals
what is free trade
international trade without restrictions such as import/ export taxes and quotas restricting the volume of trade
features of centrally planned economy
- government ownership of property and land
- state owned businesses, wages determined centrally
- profits taken by government for public services
- prices controlled by government
examples of free market capitalism economies
USA, Canada, Japan, Western Europe
examples of centrally planned economies
USSR, China, Eastern Europe, Cuba
when and why were IGOs created
end of WW2
created by EU and USA to promote free market capitalism
what are the IMFs goals?
- founded 1945
- promotes global stability using Structural Adjustment Plans
- aids economies in opening up to world trade and investment
- comes to the aid of countries in economic difficulty
what is the World Economic Forum (WEF)
- founded1971
- swiss non-profit organisation
- acts as a forum for discussion between businesses, politicians and IGOs
- pro-free trade and pro-TNC
what is the World Bank?
- founded 1944
- lends money to developing and emerging countries to promote economic development
- done using western capitalist model
- money originates from developed countries
what is the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
- founded 1947
- works to remove barriers to international trade
- negotiated series of global free trade agreements that have gradually removed trade taxes and quotas
what % voting power do the US have
16.5%
why can US veto IMF decisions
85% needed to pass a motion
US vote against means 84% even if everyone else votes yes
when did the IMF allow the Ivory Coast to receive AID?
2013
what did cancellation of debt depend on in the Ivory coast?
first $4bn- economic reform, allow free presidential elections, set up of commercial courts
next $10Bn- electricity sector reform allowing companies to react to change in world energy prices
negatives of IMF intervention on Ivory Coast
- blocked aid receival, many in poverty with no economic support
- bans on cocoa and diamond trading hold back economic growth
- investment in economic and energy sectors means reduced investment in education and healthcare
- affordability of living increased due to increased energy costs and lower minimum wage
what are the two types of TNC- give examples
Public TNCs- owned by shareholders
e.g. apple, tesco, shell, zara
State led TNCS- owned by the government
e,g, bank of China, EDF, petronas
2020 Top 3 TNCs and revenue
USA- Walmart - $559Bn
USA- Amazon - $386Bn
China- State Grid - $383Bn
Where are State led TNCs more common
centrally planned economies
China, Russia
what is Chinas largest state owned TNC?
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
top 4 are all banks
advantage of having large state-owned TNCs
long term development plans:
road, rail, ports, renewable energy, neo-colonial investments in other continents
disadvantage of having large state-owned TNCs
- corrupt
- dicourage private investment and innovation
- vulnerable to accumulating large levels of debt as a result of inefficient operations
how many people does Walmart employ worldwide
2.2 million
what 2 countries total GDP is equal to Amazons annual revenue
Argentina and Ireland
what % of the world’s 2000 biggest companies in 2020 were from EU, USA and Japan?
60%
25% USA
how do TNCs maintain power and generate wealth?
- Foreign direct investment control
- Funding new technology
- control over patents
- footloose so influence countries boom and bust cycles
what % of patent royalties are paid to EU, US, and Japan?
90%
what is culture
system of shared beliefs, values and traditions, including behaviour, dress, art, language, food, relationships, religion and political views
characteristics of western global culture?
- individual freedom and rights (gender, religion)
- western capitalist model, wealth accumulation = successful
- importance of leisure
- importance of latest tech which can solve problems
- living in a small family unit
who and when had the global police idea? what is it?
1942- Roosevelt
‘USA, UK, Russia and China should police the world’
what are some global actions taken by superpowers
- intervening in war and conflict - when internal conflict threatens to spill into other countries
- crisis response- famine, natural disaster etc
-terrorism response - response to longer term threats- climate change
- sanction, invasion, fines, support, trade rules
which super powers in particular act as global police
USA, Europe to lesser extent
how did USA intervene in 2011 Libya Crisis
USA military intelligence used
EU led by France and UK
action against Gaddafi region
how did USA intervene in 2010 Haiti Earthquake
USA used vast naval and air force to respond
gave medical, food and infrastructure aid
how did USA intervene in 2014 Ebola response in Africa
USA, UK and France led response in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea
deployed military and medical assets alongside WHO
how did USA lead ‘war on terror’
GW Bush 2003-
leading global effort against Islamic extremist terrorism in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, East Africa and Middle East
Invaded Iraq to find weapons of mass destruction- never found.
what is a military alliance
traty between countries which usually involves mutual defense
what is mutual defence
if attacked, all members will come to aid of attacked country
why are military alliances desirable?
3 reasons
- increase network of military assets spread across world
- political and economic allies can form large bloc to force agenda on rest of world
- allies can be ‘eyes and ears’ in distant parts of world to spot rouble as it develops
how much did USA and its allies spend in 2020
$1.14 trillion
60% of global spending
what is the largest global alliance
NATO
what does NATO stand for
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
how many members in NATO
31 (2023)
what is ANZUS
Australia, New Zealand and US security treaty
collective agreement signed in 1951 to protect security of pacific
what was ANZUS in response to
concerns that UK couldn’t protect regions in WW2
strengths of ANZUS
- joint efforts to advance human rights
- promoting international rules-based order
- assisting pacific neighbours
- cooperating on issues of global concern
what does the ANZUS treaty require members to do
- maintain ability to resist armed attack
- consult with each other on security matters in pacific
- act to meet any common danger in accordance with constitutional processes
what does SCO stand for
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
what is SCO
set up 1996 between Chiina, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan
India and China joined in 2017
security and economic organisation, becoming more strategic partnership in Asia
some countries have observer status- iran, belarus, afghanistan
what is SCO against
western liberal democracy
eastern rival to NATO??
what do countries involved cooperate on
- security- counter-terrorism and cyber-warfare
- military matters- joint exercises ad ‘war games’
- cultural and economic co-operation
what do economic alliances involve
signing free trade agreements allowing tax tariffs and quota-free trade in goods and services between member countries
what is the largest economic alliance
EU
how many member countries are in EU
27
what is the UN
United Nations
set up 1945
part of an attempt t create new order or peace, prosperity and stability to avoid further world wars
what is the most powerful decision-making body within the UN
UN security council
what does the UN security council make decisions on
- taking military action against countries seen to be breaking international law or persecuting people
- UN peacekeeping force
- applying economic or diplomatic sanctions to countries - force to change behaviour
who are UN security council
UK
USA
France
Russia
China
who traditionally vote together on security council?
UK, USA, France vs. Russia, China traditionally (western vs eastern)
USA sided with Russia Feb 2025, unprecedented
what sets 5 permanent members of security apart
they have veto power
what is UN security council goal?
- keep international peace and security
- encourage international friendship among nations
- cooperate in solving international problems and promoting general development of human rights
- Serve as centre to humanise actions of nations
what does the UN international court of justice do?
upholds international law
uses western legal framework - reflecting USA and European powers set up
what does UNFCCC stand for
UN framework convention on climate change
what are the 4 pillars of global security?
political (security council)
economic (IMF, WB)
social (WHO)
judicial (international court of justice)
what are the top global security threats?
- cybersecurity
- emerging technology
- geopolitical tensions and military conflict
- poverty and social inequality
- pandemics and epidemics
what are cybersecurity related security threats?
- malware
- deepfakes
- misinformation
threaten supply chains, democracy ad financial stability
example of emerging tech that could cause issues
AI
what are examples of geopolitical tensions and military conflict that could threaten global security?
- israel-palestine
- russia-ukraine
- US -China naval accident
all lead to global impacts with potential terror and nuclear threat
examples of pandemics which could act as security threats
ebola
covid
other unknowns
how are economic alliances influential in global decision making
- blocs have huge trading power and keep involved countries switched on
- highest GDP usually controls bloc so has most economic gain from it
how are economic alliances not as influential in global decision making
- they can break down- decision making shifts
- voluntary so less stable
- softer power than military
- if shared currency fails then huge risk of decreased influence
how are military alliances influential in global decision making
- original powers still in charge
- protector power in charge so can make decisions
- allows hard power interventions to be made
- mutual defence agreements create stability so economic alliances flourish
how are military alliances not as influential in global decision making
- catastrophic if fail
- other countries threatened/ feel at risk can act aggressively or defensively
how many earths needed if everyone used resources at same rate as the US?
5
how many earths needed if everyone used resources at same rate as the UK?
2.8
what resources are required to maintain a large economy, wealthy popn, global reach?
energy
minerals
land
water resources
what is Europe’s predicted decrease in energy demand by 2040
- 256 MTOE
what is china’s predicted increase in energy demand by 2040?
+ 807 MTOE
what does MTOE stand for
million tonnes of oil equivalent
why does europe and japans predicted energy demand decrease?
- more efficient energy use technology
- industrial centre has moved away from them
how much global coal is used in China
50%
why is urban air quality low in emerging power cities?
coal- burning power stations
dramatic increase in car usage
what is WHO PM2.5 and PM10 limit? what do many chinese cities including beijing reach?
WHO- 25 per cubc meter
most cities- 200pcm
beijing- reaching 800pcm (32x reccomended)
what % of co2 emissions do china and India make up
32%
what % of chinas forests disturbed between 1986 and 2020?
39.7%
how many people in BRIC economies considered middle class in 2020?
1.7Bn
majority in China
what income do goldman sachs bank consider middle class ?
$6,000 < x > $30,000
how many people enter growing middle class each year?
100M
113 million expected in 2024
how do world data lab define the middle class?
someone who spends at least $12 a day (PPP)
how many new asian consumers in 2024
91 million
31 china
33 india
where does goldman-sachs believe egypt and nigeria will be in 2075
5th and 7th largest economies in the world
surpassing Japan, Germany, UK
how does increase in middle class impact annual economic growth?
every 10% increase in middle class results in extra 0.5% annual increase in economic growth
what will chinas meat consumption be if catches up to USA average consumer income
180 million tonnes meat consumed each year- 80% global production in 2015
how will chinas coal consumption be if catches up to USA average consumer income
coal consumption in china will exceed global usage
impacts of middle class growth on food
- pressure on food supply- new souces needed
- land used for grain converted to livestock farming
- prices driven up, impacts poorest
impacts of middle class growth on energy
- increased energy demand by 30% in 2030
- supply issues as more people get cars, home appliances, computers and cars
- prices driven up, poorest impacted
- countries with domestic energy supply having less issues
impacts of middle class growth on water
- 2030 predicted 60% India water scarce
- supply issues as tap water becomes norm
- urban water supply an issue in China, Nigeria and Indonesia
impacts of middle class growth on resources
- demand for rare earth metals driving gadget price up
- Basic metals (sopper, tin) becoming scarce)
- demand for lithium batteries hard to meet
consequence of growing middle class in BRICS
- price of key resources higher
- non renewable resources dwindle
- more mining and oil drilling as pressure on supply of natural resources
- more pollution and emissions, incineration of waste and landfill sites
what % of emissions were superpowers responsible for in 2019
65%
w do attitudes towards the environment vary between powers?
EU- flatlined emissions due to renewable investments, willing to commit to targets
USA- CO2 flatlined due to efficiency, changeable attitude pre trump. now pulled out of paris agreement again
BRICS- CO2 rising to prioritise economic development, wont commit to targets
what was agreed at paris summit 2015
all countries agreed to reduce emissions
China agreed to reduce after 2030
USA signed and pulled out
keep warming below 2 degrees
what was agreed at cop26
reduce coal usage directly
promised money to LICs facing impact
china and India changed coal pledge
what was agreed at cop28 20023
established a loss and damage fund for most vulnerable countries
Net zero by 2050, phase out fossil fuels
$30 Bn private market climate capitol invested in private sector
what is a sphere of influence?
the claim by a state to exclusive or predominant control over a foreign area or territory
OR
a political claim to exclusive control which other nations may or may not recognise
how can countries attempt to acquire natural resources through new territory?
invasion and conquest of another country’s territory (rare)
claiming offshore, undersea resources by extending a countries exclusive economic zone
what countries have lodged claims with UN to increase EEZs into arctic territories?
why do countries want to extend EEZs into arctic ocean?
huge oil and gas reserves under the ocean
what is the potential impact on environment from oil and gas drilling in arctic?
oils pill risk high
arctic is one of last remaining pristine environments with a large popn (inuit)
how much oil was spilled in 2020 in the arctic circle
20000 tonnes
how far did the 2020 arctic oil spill travel
12km from site of accident
how many people migrated too north caucasian federal district in 2022
150000
how much of artic oil and gas did russia produce in 2022?
91%
example of economic spheres of influence
intellectual property rights- patents
what % of royalty fees were paid to usa, japan and western europe
80% of $150-200bn annual royalty
what are negatives of patents
- establishes a monopoly
- HICs always get to them first
- favours tncs
- no duty to make or sell product
- holds back LIC development
how can counterfeit goods cause tension?
- causes strain on trade relationships as counterfeits account for 3% global trade
- TNCs limit investment in China and other counterfeit hubs
- total losses of $400-600 annually
- god unsafe or bad quality putting consumer at risk
what policies give China a large sphere of influence?
’ nine dashed line’
‘ first and second island chain ‘
