Superpowers Flashcards
Explain why defense spending is seen as crucial to the development of superpower status (4)
Defence spending is critical to the exercise of hard power because it enables territorial expansion and/or the protection of current territory, which in turn brings wealth through acquisition of resources, allowing the maintenance/growth of the economy needed to develop superpower status.
Explain how ‘soft power’ can be used to maintain superpower status (4)
Soft power involves influencing people’s’ ‘way of life’. The US has done this primarily through their cultural hegemony and ‘Americanisation’, linking to the international spread of US TNCs and their ability to project American culture, from media to consumer habits. In 2008, 53 of the world’s top 100 brands by value were American, and TNCs like McDonalds (McDonaldization), which operates in 119 countries, influence other countries, and connect them with America by offering their products and services, which are well known today.
Neocolonialism and soft power can also allow for the maintenance of power over countries through several different ways, including;
- development aid with strings attached, meaning that agreements to aid policies mean the country is somewhat controlled by the country giving aid
- TNC investment abroad can lead to created jobs and wealth, bu will leave the host country dependent on the TNCs of source countries.
- Paying debt, paying other countries debt allows for soft power and the building of alliances due to the country “owing them”
Explain the role of superpowers in international crisis response (4)
CRISIS RESPONSE
-Superpowers usually deploy military/emergency supplies or doctors in order to aid the rebuilding effort such as the 2014 Ebola epidemic where the USA and UK led relief efforts by deploying assets in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
GLOBAL POLICEMAN
-In an era of conflict its the role of superpowers usually USA to intervene if necessary and stop war spreading such as the EU in 2011 against Gaddafi and Libya
Explain how economic restructuring has affected the economies of existing superpowers (4)
As the world’s economic centre of gravity has shifted eastwards, traditional superpowers in the west have faced numerous economic problems such as debt, unemployment and economic restructuring. Due to the global shift of manufacturing taking advantage of cheap labour, tax breaks and relaxed health/safety and environmental regulations, primarily in SE Asia, areas of deindustrialisation and deprivation have developed in the west. This hit the ‘rust belt’ area of eastern USA especially. Specifically, the city of Detroit was affected worst as car manufacturer Ford moved, costing the city 90,000 jobs and unemployed spiked to 17%. There has been a shift away from the production of goods, leading to the USA having a significant trade deficit. National debt in these countries has increased too, and it is well publicised that China owns a significant proportion of the USA’s debt, arguably compromising US hegemony.
Assess the extent to which geopolitical power stems from a range of countries’ human and physical characteristics. (12)
physical
PHYSICAL
ACCESS TO NATURAL RESOURCES -
-Creates dependency upon country with natural resources which can be used as a form of power control over other nations.
-China, USA, India, Russia and the EU make up 97% of global coal consumption
-Control of natural resources which are needed creates a form of dependency. Countries with their own supplies such as Russia and Brazil are in a stronger position than those that need to import. Examples include the Russia Ukraine gas dispute, where Russia displayed its power through the influence of gas transfer through certain transboundary energy pathways. This interdependence on Russia allows it to ‘influence’ most of Europe through gas, however Qatar are now large producers of natural gas, with special trading agreements with countries in the EU.
Assess the extent to which geopolitical power stems from a range of countries’ human and physical characteristics. (12)
ECONOMIC + WORKFORCE
ECONOMIC -
- Allows superpowers to spread cultural ideology globally with soft power. Notably, by providing developmental aid. E.g. Israel $3.1 billion 2017 (link to influence by economic alliances)
- Maharaja mac burger, spread of ideology and the idea of glocalisation.
Size and efficiency of workforce.
-geopolitical power can benefit from the access of high skilled labour, allowing for higher incomes, and therefore more taxations on incomes, further increasing capital able to be spent on military, which increases military hard power. Furthermore, efficient work forces lead to increased economic gain, both domestically and from the result of FDI which boosts the size of the economy, leading to growth of TNCs that can then spread ideologies such as McDonalds.
Assess the extent to which geopolitical power stems from a range of countries’ human and physical characteristics. (12)
MILITARY
- Act as Global policeman e.g. USA. Has military alliances not just NATO but individual treaties with Australia and New Zealand as well as in Asia with Japan and South Korea which has led to the USA having military bases on all continents except Antarctica. This means they can control potential conflict as well as be too big to be interfered with.
- Form of soft power such as providing support such as the 2014 Ebola epidemic where the USA and UK led relief efforts by deploying assets in Sierra Leone and Liberia
HARD POWER TO CONTROL OTHER COUNTRIES?
- Military or economic threats and actions
- When Russia invaded Ukraine the EU and USA ordered their banks to stop doing business with their Russian counterparts and they also froze any Russian money in EU/USA accounts.
- furthermore, hard power and the interdependence of countries in other countries natural resources can lead to the ability to maintain power and influence over other countries, which is one of the reasons why China doesn’t have hegemony. Its heavily reliant on imports of natural resources.
Assess the influence of TNCs over the global economic system. (12)
CONTROL OF IGO’S
CONTROL OF IGO’S
- After WW2 Europe and the USA formed a range of NGOs to promote capitalism. With the EU and USA voting the same way as one another to push through their policies.
- e.g. World Trade Organisation (WTO) removed tax tariffs and barriers on international trade allowing this to occur more freely.
- -This is likely to mean the western ideology of capitalism over the economic system will spread globally. This is different to developing countries specifically China such as the Bank of China or Petronas which have state ownership of their large corporations
- USA, EU and Japan now have a 60% share of global GDP.
Assess the influence of TNCs over the global economic system. (12)
PATENTS
PATENTS
- A form of intellectual property. A patent gives its owner the right to exclude others from making, using, selling, and importing an invention
- e.g. GlaxoSmithKline (a British company) has the patent for the antiretroviral drugs which help to treat HIV therefore they receive money every time the drug is used.
-90% of global patent royalties are paid to USA, EU and Japan
Assess the influence of TNCs over the global economic system. (12)
SPREAD OF WESTERN CULTURE
SPREAD OF WESTERN CULTURE/CHANGING PRODUCTS
- Western products spread globally e.g. Maharaja McDonalds burger. Form of mergers and acquisitions as the Western economies have such a large market share.
- Through their often much-needed investment in developing countries, TNCs may influence government policies, both directly and indirectly.
- TNCs likely to have negative impact in the new host country due to exploitation of lower wages and movement away from Western countries e.g. Detroit 90,000 jobs lost as ford moved out of the area and began outsourcing in China, the ‘workshop of the world’.
Assess the effectiveness of superpowers and emerging nations in playing key roles in international decision-making (12)
MILITARY/GLOBAL POLICE
MILITARY/GLOBAL POLICE -
- Superpowers play an important role in a military capacity. Having a large military is a big aspect of superpower status as seen with the USA having a military base on every continent except Antarctica.
- Usually, the role of ‘global policeman’ is adopted by the US which is significant as the side which they favour in a conflict situation is likely to have a positive outcome.
Assess the effectiveness of superpowers and emerging nations in playing key roles in international decision-making (12)
ALLIANCES
ALLIANCES -
- Alliances, both military (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), The Australia, New Zealand and United States Security Treaty (ANZUS) and economic (EU, North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), ASEAN) and environmental (IPCC) increase interdependence and are important in geostrategy and global influence.
- These alliances are significant as policy implemented will cover a large area and have significant impacts if the alliance is big.
Assess the effectiveness of superpowers and emerging nations in playing key roles in international decision-making (12)
UN
UN (DOMINATED BY SUPERPOWERS) -
- The UN (Security Council, International Court of Justice, and peacekeeping missions and climate change conferences) are important to global geopolitical stability.
- This is significant as these decision making bodies are dominated by Western Capitalist nations which share the same ideology and will consequently approach issues in the same way, making their view more important.
Assess the extent to which global concerns about the physical environment can be disproportionately influenced by superpower action (12)
DISPROPORTIONATE RESOURCE DEMANDS
DISPROPORTIONATE RESOURCE DEMANDS -
- Superpower resource consumption is far greater than other countries e.g. China and USA alone accounting for 60% of global coal consumption
- This can cause environmental degradation and their carbon emissions contribute disproportionately to global warming due to the excessive amounts used by a small number of nations.
