Superpowers Flashcards
Define: superpower
A state/organisation that is able to entend a dominant influence globally
Who were the 3 dominant victorious powers that were named “superpower” after WW2
- USA
- USSR
- British empire
Define: hyper power
- an unchallenged superpower that is dominant in all aspects of power
- has achieved global hegemony (domination)
What are the 5 “pillars” of power
ECONOMIC
- cultural
- political
- resource
- military
Define: geopolitical
The ability to influence the outcome of world events
Define:
Economic (category of power)
- the most important category and all aspects come back to this
- a substantial economy gives the country wealth to build an army, weapon art and be able to exploit any natural resource they have
Define: Military
category of power
- large army and weapons can work well as a background ‘threat’
Define: Cultural influence
category of power
Where a country can influence others via their ideology (beliefs/values)
Define: Political
category of power
- this relates to a country’s ability to get their own way through diplomatic negotiations
- links to their ability to gain favourable conditions in treaties and international agreements
- eg through WTO/IMF/UN
Define: Resource
category of power
- not élément of power but still important in judging status
Human- population/skill level/educational levels
Physical- oil/gas/land areas/minerals/water
What’s the hierarchy of Great Powers
- Super power
- Emerging power
- Regional power
Emerging power?
A state/organisation that is growing significantly in power and beginning to extend a more global influence
Regional power?
A state with power or influence in a world region
Soft power?
Power through favour or persuasion
Hard power?
Power through force or coercion
Aka command power
Eg threats= military force/economic sanctions OR rewards= bribes/foreign aid
Economic power?
Sits somewhere between - aid and trade agreements
Give an example of hard power
- The Germans invaded into Poland 1939
Give an example of soft power
- The enlargement of the EU
Unipolar world?
- the international system with ONE pre-eminent hyperpower or «pole» that has no real rivals to power
- this hyperpower has world hegemony
Bipolar world?
- interns systems revolve around two superpowers (or poles)
Multipolar world?
- international systems in which there are three or more superpowers
What are the three phases in the history of the British empire
- The mercantilist phase (1600-1850)
- The imperial phase (1850-1945)
- The decolonialisation phase (1945-)
What happened between: 1900-1914 1919-1939 1945-1991 1991-2010 2010-present
- B.E. lost hyperpower status and challenged by Germany and USA (rivalry led to WW1)
- B.E, USA, Japan, Germany, France and USSE rivalled for power («beggar by thy neighbor»)
- Cold War between USSR and USA (bipolarworld)
- collapse of Soviet Union in 1989-1991 left the USA as an unchallenged hyperpower (unipolarworld)
- rising emerging powers (BRICS)
Geopolitical stability: unipolar world
- advantages and disadvantages
A: - hyperpower able to act as ‘worlds police officer’
- encourages free trade
D: - megalomania by the dominant power
- rogue states willing to challenge global hegemony
Geopolitical stability: bipolar world
- advantages and disadvantages
A: equilibrium of power
D: - tension between the two blocs
- each superpower has hegemonic ambitions
Geopolitical stability: multipolar world
- advantages and disadvantages
A: promote peace and cooperation
D: - more players = more potential conflict
- shifting alliances between superpowers
Hegemony?
- the dominance of a superpower over other countries eg USA
The US military forces are so big, it’s considerable power and deters other nations from acting against it
The rise and fall of the British empire:
The mercantilist phase
1600-1850
- small colonies set up on coastal fringes and islands eg Jamaica
- focus on trade (slaves/raw materials)
The rise and fall of the British empire:
The imperial phase
1850-1945
- coastal colonies extended inland (conquest of territories)
- religion and British cultures/language introduced to colonies
- government and institutions set up to rule the colonial power
- use of technology eg railways
The rise and fall of the British empire:
The decolonialisation phase
1945-
- after ww2 uk is bankrupt
- anti-colonial movements grow eg India (increasing tensions)
- focus on postwar reconstruction - majority of colonies independent (1970)
Advantages and disadvantages of: Unipolar world
A: hyper power able to act as “world’s police officer”
- encourages free trade
D: megalomania by the dominant power
- rogue states willing to challenge global hegemony
Advantages and disadvantages of: Bipolar world
A: equilibrium of power
D: tension between the two blocs
- each superpower has hegemonic ambitions
Advantages and disadvantages of: Multipolar world
A: promote peace and cooperation
D: more players, more potential conflict
- shifting alliances between superpowers
What are signs that the influence of emerging powers is growing?
- manufacturing many goods other countries need (china and India)
- buying many commodities from developing nations (China/India)
- resource rich in energy and minerals which other states need (Russia/S.Africa)
- BRICS created in 2014 the New Development Bank to finance the infrastructure projects around the world (direct rival to existing system of global economic governance e.g. IMF and WB created in 1944 by 2 superpower(Britain/USA)
What are weaknesses of existing great powers create opportunities for emerging powers
- EU/Japan have an ageing pop. - likely to cause a slow in the growth of their economies (retired)
- EU, Japan, USA all suffer major job loses as companies have offshore to lower waged area
- EU nations/USA/Japan have large nations
What are the threats to emerging powers (THE WARNING OF JAPAN)
- Japans ageing population quickly became a problem, slowing the economy further
- High interest rates of 4 to 6% encouraged saving, not spending, so economy slowed more
- property value bubble burst in 1989-90, led to collapse in Japan’s stock market
How does China influence Africa
- incr. flow of FDI Investment) into Africa esp Sub-Saharan
- focused on oil rich/mineral rick countries
- importing Chinese workers to build key infrastructure megs ports/roads/rails to export raw materials
- china gives increasing amounts of aid to Africa. often targeting key infrastructure projects
- China developed a strategy in 2013 “One belt, one road” - aims to increase connectivity between China/Eurasia/Africa
Emerging economies and their influence
- in 2010 investment in renewable energy in developing+emerging countries overtook investment in developed countries
- the development of wind/solar/geo-thermal/water power is growing rapidly in emerging nations
- India: produces 35GW of renewable power through wind/solar
- China: the biggest spender of renewable energy - they installed 15.9GW of onshore turbines - more than 1/3 of all news capacity worldwide
What are the negatives of emerging economies in environment
- Air: greenhouse gases
- Water: unsanitary/tension for incr. demand
- Forest: deforestation
- Oceans: pollution
Influence of : BRICs
- economy
- political
- military
- cultural
- demographic
- environment
E: only US$1 trillion economy outside the OECD. growth rates slowed and consumer spending low bc of ageing populations
P: china become “mega-trader” - larger than imperial Britain. commodity prices have soared while manufacturing costs have shrunk
M: incr. military expenditure with incursions into S.China Sea and NATO airspace, Ukraine+Georgia. But direct conflict with NATO would still leave them outmatched
C: cultural differences lead to lack of common understanding which limits sharing of experience
D: large populations means a huge labour market with uni’s w/ science and engineering populations=shrinking=not creating enough jobs
E: historic rise in GHG emissions, 3 out of 4, top polluters are BRICS- starting to lead the world in renewable energy production e.g. solar panels in china
Neo-colonialism
The use of economic, political and cultural power to influence other countries
Colonialism
The acquisition of political control over a territory by another country, and the subsequent settlement of that territory
Direct control
Maintaining control through ‘hard’ power eg colonialism
Indirect control
Maintaining control through ‘soft’ power eg neo-colonialism
Geopolitical
Referring to the influence of geographical factors on international relations
Blue water navy
A navy that can be deployed into Open Ocean i.e. with large ocean-going ships
Diplomacy
The negotiation and decision- making that takes places between nations as part of international relations, leading to international agreements and treaties
Ideology
A set of beliefs, values and opinions held by the majority of people in a society eg ‘Western Values’ of free speech, individual liberty, free-market economics and consumerism
Cold war
A period of tension between the two superpowers of capitalist ASA and communist USSR lasting from 1945 - 1990
Acculturation
A process of cultural change that takes place when two different cultures meet; it includes the transfer of a dominant culture’s ideas on to a subordinate culture
Sphere of influence
The geographical area over which a powerful country can assert its authority
Dependency
The progress of a developing country is influenced by economic, cultural and political forces that are controlled by developed countries
Modernisation theory
A neo-liberal model used to explain the growth and dominance of the British Empire and the USA that suggests sufficient investment in developing economies would stimulate industrial change
Neo-liberalism
An approach that transfers control of economic factors to the private sector away from government control, with the idea that there is an open market for trade and the economy is free of restrictive barriers and regulations