Superpowers Flashcards
What is a superpower?
nation/group of nations with a leading position in international politics
Where did the word superpower originate
the late 1940s when it was used to describe the three dominant powers - USA, USSR, British Empire
What is an emerging superpower?
A nation whose economic, military and political influence is already large and growing
What is a regional power?
Influences other countries at continental scale
Examples of regional powers
South Africa to Africa, Saudi Arabia, Chile, Australia, India
What can superpowers be defined by using contrasting characteristics? (pillars of power)
Economic Military Political Cultural Demographic Access to natural resources
What is the basis of being a superpower?
Economic strength
What are economic factors that help a superpower succeed?
- high GDP
- high levels of global trade and influence over it
- TNC headquarters
- hard currency is held in other countries’ reserves
What are political factors that help a superpower succeed?
- permanent seat on UN Security Council
- ability to influence others on UN and WTO
- many multilateral agreements
What are military factors that help a superpower succeed? and achieve geopolitical goals
- threat of military action as well as military force
- high expenditure on military resources such as hardware, personnel, nuclear weapons
- intelligence network
- tech exporter
- blue water navy
- drones/missiles/satellite tech
- national defence budgets and tech are often more important than military size
What are cultural factors that help a superpower succeed?
- rich cultural history voluntarily enjoyed by many e.g music, fashion
What are demographic factors that help a superpower succeed?
- large proportion of international employees
- skilled workers are attracted to the country
- not necessarily a large pop, as shown by Singapore, which has pop. of half of London, yet has become a key player in Asia
How does access to resources help boost power?
- in the form of physical and human resources
- level of education and skills
- number of people
- lessens dependency if they have e.g oil
- ability to trade commodities
- viable location
What would some add to superpower factors?
physical size
geographical position
Why is China’s position as a superpower contested?
-lack of cultural and political influence (in e.g UN, WTO)
Why is USA the biggest superpower?
- 16 of top 20 unis
- gives most financial assistance ($33 billion)
- most migration to USA (45 mill foreign-born living in US, 4x that of next country)
- 37% of world’s military spending
- $53,000 per capita GDP, compared w/ China;s $6000
What is OECD? When set up, how many members
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
35 developed countries
Who is in G8?
Canada France Germany Italy Japan Russia UK USA
Why was G8 most influential until recently
global shift to Asia has meant G20 is more significant, as it includes G8 plus 12 others, including BRICS
Who is in G20?
G8 Argentina Australia Brazil China EU India Indonesia Mexico Saudi Arabia South Africa SK Turkey
Who is in the UN Security Council?
UK, USA, Russia, China, France permanent
What is the UN Security Council’s purpose?
to approve military intervention only when justified in particular conflicts
7.1B What does maintaining power sit on a spectrum from
hard to soft power, which vary in their effectiveness
What is hard power
how countries get their way using force
Soft power
power of persuasion
The power spectrum and what makes up each power
Hard Power……..Economic Power………..Soft POwer
-Military action -aid -cultural
and conquest, or - favourable attractiveness
threat of it trade agreements -moral authority of
-alliances nation’s foreign
-economic policy
sanctions
Who first used the term soft power and when
Joseph Nye, political scientist, in 1990
What did Nye argue about power?
that the most POWERFUL countries use smart power, a combination of hard and soft mechanisms, to get their way
Why are the uses of diff power necessary?
hard power can often not go as planned, a blunt instrument, and soft power alone may not persuade a nation, especially if they are very culturally different
What are the three ways in which the UK uses soft power?
history
culture
diplomacy
How UK uses history to increase soft power
maintain cultural links w/ Commonwealth countries
common law approach, which is widely modelled around the world, for its neutrality, transparency etc attracts FDI to London
How UK uses culture to increase soft power
- BBC is major international broadcaster
- English is most spoken after Mandarin
- BBC News widens UK’s influence through soft power
- 2012 Olympics
- international consultancy firms such as PriceWaterhouse Coopers
How UK uses diplomacy to soft increase power
- one of the largest embassy and high commissions networks
- British diplomats are widely respected
- influential in imposing economic sanctions, such as on Russia after Ukraine involvement
- always sought to support weaker countries against takeover, thus maintaining balance
What is diplomacy?
managing international relations, typically by a country’s representatives abroad.
What does the historian Niall Ferguson think about superpowers?
they should ‘stand astride the world like a Collosus, recognising that hard power is vital
Examples of USA’s military power use
- confronting Taliban and murdering Osama bin Laden
- the killing of Iran’s Qasem Soleimani 2020
- Afghanistan War as a result of 9/11
(more examples)
Examples of USA’s economic power use
- exports many goods, global brands such as Apple
- dominance in innovation and intellectual property, such as patents
- World Bank, IMF, WTO help spread USA’s economic power
(more examples)
How has importance of hard and soft power changed over time
hard less, soft more
What was Mackinder’s geostrategic location theory?
- to exert influence, it is crucial for a country to control areas of land
- 1904
- so three components of the world
- the World Island, made up of Europe, Asia and Africa, which was supposedly the largest and most wealthy combination of continents
- offshore islands, including British Isles and Japan
- Outlying Islands, including N, S America, Australasia
- the Heartland was at the centre of the World Island which was the pivot area as it contained 50% of the world’s resources, and controlling this are wld gain control of the World Island, therefore the rest of the world.
- Heartland was controlled by Russia, but could be invaded
- the further away from the heartland, the less influence it would have
Reception to Mackinder’s Theory
- much criticism, as it is questionable how applicable it is today
- but it is claimed that it has influenced key foreign policies, so remains relevant
How has MacKinder’s ‘heartland’ changed over time
moved towards China 2000-2025
What is sharp power
helps authoritarian regimes such as China coerce and manipulate opinions abroad
How has China used sharp power
- interfered in Australian politics by e.g bribing Australian senator to defend China
- spying on diaspora with subversion, bullying, to promote self-censorship
- using LinkedIn to pose people as recruiters and trap politicians
- punished Norway economically for awarding NObel Peace Prize to Chinese pro-democracy activist
- pressure Western professors to recant
- block access for foreign researchers
Why is China using sharp power?
a lot at stake, as the Chinese diaspora may pick up democratic habits from foreigners and infect China
What are the three different distributions of global power?
unipolar
bipolar
multipolar
What is a unipolar world
dominated by one superpower (e.g British Empire)
What is a bipolar world
two superpowers vie for power (USA, USSR)
What is a unipolar world
Many powers vie for power in diff regions
Describe British Empire
- high point of unipolar world
- 1920 ruled over 20% of world’s population, 25% of land area
- Royal Navy dominated, twice as big as Germany’s, the next biggest in 1914
- colonisation maintained with British farms, military forces, indigenous suppressed, racism, justified by moral superiority that God was on Britain’s side
Imperial power
extends rule or authority of empire/nation over other countries, with colonies+ dependency
Colonialism
external nation takes direct control of territory by force
What are the two phases the British empire can be seen as growing in
Mercantile Phase
then
Imperial Phase
When was the Mercantile Phase
1600-1850
When was the Imperial Phase
1850-1945
What happened in Mercantile Phase
- small colonies acquired (New England, Jamaica etc)
- forts, navy, trade in raw materials, slaves used
What happened in Imperial Phase
- Coastal colonies extended inland
- religion, competitive sport such as cricket, language introduced to colonies
- British govs set up in other countries
- complex trade develops
- farms and plantations set up
- technology such as railways and telegraph used to connect distant parts of empire
What was the All Red Line
network of underwater telegraph cables all controlled by UK
Example of demonstration of power of British Empire
time zones based in Greenwich in London
How did Britain control India?
- British ran the Raj
- thwarted rebellions such as Indian Rebellion 1857 against British rule
- even educated Indians had lower positions
- acculturation (taking on culture) of British traditions, such as cricket, afternoon tea, English language
How did the British empire decline?
- not financially viable
- new boundaries were starting conflict
- Royal Navy was not strong enough to protect the whole empire
- realised they had no right to rule people such as massacre in India 1919 led many British to question the morality of colonialism
- it was becoming a multi-polar world
What made the world more multipolar after WW1?
- Germany started to become more powerful especially in the 30s as Hitler became ruler
- Imperial Japan was becoming more of an Asian influence
- USA was econ. and milit. stronger
- European powers were weakened by poor economy and cost of empire maintenance
- emerging powers were threatening the traditional spheres of influence
- after WW2, Britain was near bankrupt and dependent on US support
When did Zimbabwe leader die? Name?
- 2019
- Mugabe
What are the factors of indirect control?
political
economic
military
cultural
What has made multi-faceted control more important?
Cold War
Emergence of China as potential rival to USA’s hegemony (dominance)
What is in a capitalist regime?
- business and property is privately owned
- gov is chosen in free democratic elections
- being free of control by the gov is more important than everyone being equal
- can be a wealthy country but with extremes of great wealth and poverty
What was in USSR communist regime?
- all property is publicly owned
- elections held, but as it is was one-party dictatorship, all candidates are communist
- rights of individuals were less important than the good of society as a whole
- general standard of living was low, but unemployment and extreme poverty were rare
- individuals’ lives were tightly controlled
Why did most colonial powers lose their colonies by 1970?
- post-war bankruptcy
- focus on post-war reconstruction at home meant colonies were less important
- anti-colonial movements could not be ignored
Who were the main powers in the Cold War?
USA, USSR
What distribution of power was in Cold War?
Bipolar
What is neocolonialism?
form of indirect control over developing countries that are supposed to be independent
How did superpowers still maintain influence over old colonies in the Cold War? (one term)
neo-colonialism
What are some possible methods of neo-colonial control?
- strategic alliances
- aid (SAPs etc)
- TNC investment (with policies)
- terms of trade
- debt
How did the USA and USSR maintain power in the Cold War (factors)?
Military power Physical Resources Human Resources Allies Political System Economic System Cultural Influence (Proxy Wars)
How did USA maintain power in the Cold War through military power?
- largest navy, air forces
- large network of nuclear bases
- CIA intelligence
- part of NATO which provided military strength to members
How did USSR maintain power in the Cold War through military power?
- Iron Curtain was heavily defended with guards
- nuclear weapons, army, troops
- KGP intelligence
- Warsaw Pact for military strength
- Eastern Germany was controlled
How did USA and USSR maintain power through physical resources in the Cold War?
Both were self-sufficient in most raw materials, such as oil
How many human resources did USA and USSR have in Cold War Why was this beneficial?
US 287 million 1989
USSR 291 million 1991
helped maintain power
How did USSR maintain power with its political system in the Cold War?
- Single-party state with no free elections
- Satellite countries’ elections were only with approved candidates
- harsh treatment of politicians and people who were not linientreu
such as Hungarian Uprising 1956 and Czech Spring 1968 were ultimately squashed by USSR
How did USA and USSR maintain power through proxy wars in the Cold War? (supported one side but did not directly fight)
Korean War 50-53
Vietnam War 55-75 (fought directly by USA, but indirectly by communist China and USSR weapons)
Cuban Missile Crisis 62 (closest to direct conflict)
always nuclear threat that could make it a ‘hot war’
How did USA maintain power through economic systems in Cold War?
-capitalist, free-market economy
-TNCs
-Marshall PLan, which was financial aid to help European countries rebuild war damage and also promoted containerism
World Bank, IMF, SAPs
How did USSR maintain power through economic systems in Cold War?
socialist, centrally planned economy, where because businesses were state-owned, everything flowed back into the state
How did USA maintain power through cultural influences in the Cold War?
- media such as TV to convey positive consumerism, family values, democracy
- Red Menace film and others to generate suspicion of Communism
- propaganda
How did USSR maintain power through cultural influences in the Cold War?
- message focused on ballet, classical music, art
- strict censorship
- propaganda
What is the power distribution today?
unipolar (USA), but increasingly multipolar (India and China more power)
Why might a unipolar world be unstable?
-hyperpower cannot maintain power everywhere with challenges
Why could a bipolar world be stable? Unstable?
two blocs mean if communication between is open, the powers can control their own bloc
But if there is not good communication this can lead to conflict (Cold War)
Who is in the BRICs?
Brazil
Russia
India
China
Which countries are considered increasingly important to global economic systems, as well as global environment governance? 7.3a
BRICs
other G20 members
What are the factors of strengths and weaknesses that could inhibit/advance emerging countries/ economic and geopolitical role? 7.3b
economic political military cultural demographic environmental
What do emerging countries vary in their influence on ? (2 factors) 7.3
people
physical environment
Why will things change for USA and EU’s influence?
- EU and Japan’s ageing populations slow economic growth
- USA will have moderate economic growth, not rapid
- China’s manufacturing economy is shifting to tertiary
- India, Indonesia, Nigeria are developing quickly, as are other emerging countries
- global shift, outsourcing
What future superpowers are likely to emerge from two groups of countries which overlap?
BRICs, don’t rival USA yet
G20
How much of world’s GDP do G20 account for?
85%
How much influence do BRICs have at World Bank and IMF
little
What did BRICs set up to increase influence?
New Development Bank (NDB)
Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA)
What does New Development Bank do?
- competes with IMF to fund infrastructure and development projects
What is the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA)?
aims to protect against global liquidity pressures, where currency is especially concerned
What bank did China set up and why?
China Development Bank to provide development funds and overall increase influence
What was formed in 2011 which shows signs of economic emergence?
MINT
Who is in MINT?
Mexico
Indonesia
Nigeria
Turkey
Who is in the Next Eleven?
MINT
Iran, Egypt, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines, Vietnam, SK
Who identified ‘Next Eleven’ and why?
Goldman Sachs
Potential to be the largest economies
What is USA’s and China’s power in comparison with each other predicted to be in 2030?
more equal
Why are India and Nigeria predicted to be regional rather than global powers by 2030?
Only 1-2 trillion GDP predicted, compared with China’s 22 trillion
What are the weaknesses of the EU?
- 28 nations rarely agree
- EU economy has been weak since global financial crisis
- ageing pop
- Brexit
Why one should not be completely sure of China being next global superpower (Japan)
- 80s Japan predicted to be superpower, as it had higher per capita GDP than UK and USA 1980, and largest electrics exporter, cars
- but since 1995 Japan has hardly grown
Why has Japan hardly grown since 1995?
- property value bubble burst in 1989, led to stock market collapse
- high interests promoted saving
- ageing pop hindered economic growth
- other Asian economies stole Japan’s lead on tech
Strengths of Brazil (5 things)
- SA leader, regional alliances w/ seat on UN Security Council
- strong agricultural economy
- energy independent w/ biofuels
- growing middle class and consumerism
- culturally influential w/ 2016 Olympics, carnivals
Weaknesses of Brazil (5 things)
- small military
- economy fluctuates
- deforestation and corruption with new president worsens cultural influence
- lower education levels
- poverty - 25% of Brazilians live in favelas
Russia Pros (3)
- nuclear power
- oil and gas reserves
- permanent seat on UN Security Council
Russia Cons (4)
- ageing, declining pop
- extreme inequality
- overly dependent on oil and gas
- difficult diplomatic relationships
India Pros (4)
- young pop
- English is widely spoken
- good education
- nuclear tech
India cons (4)
possible future shortages of water+energy
poor transport and energy infrastructure
poverty
poor relations w/ Pakistan and neighbours
China Pros and Cons (10)
- good education, tech, renewables
- strong military which is challenging USA
- modern infrastructure such as high speed rail
- permanent seat on UN Security Council
- but will have problems w/ ageing pop
- pollution
- tense relationships
- rising wages make manufacturing economy less viable
- relies on imported raw materials
- corruption and censorship hinders human development
Mexico Pros and Cons
- part of the N American Free Trade Agreement, advanced economy
- becoming more democratic and ‘open for business’
- crime worsens cultural image
- population is increasingly obese
- skilled workers often migrate out from Mexico
Indonesia Pros and Cons
- young, potentially dynamic pop with economic potential
- large untapped natural resources
- deforestation at large scale
- poverty
- internal political instability
Turkey Pros and Cons
-economy is partially integrated w/ EU
-member of NATO military alliance
young education, improving education
-internal political problems w/ Kurdish minority
-external political instability w/ Middle East
Examples of China’s increasing military might
- army forces are becoming leaner and more capable
- defence budget increasing 6-7%/year
- firms are helping develop it, and advantage is that they have no choice if told to do so
- air-air missiles, such as PL-15 are comparable to Western equivalents- can destroy aircraft 50km away
What are the 3 theories of development? In order of age
Modernisation Theory
Dependency Theory
World Systems Theory
When was Modernisation Theory developed and by who?
Rostow 1960
When was dependency theory developed and by who?
Frank 1967
When was World Systems Theory developed and by who?
Wallerstein 1970s
Describe the Modernisation Theory
- outlines 5 stages a country must go through to develop
- a country needs these preconditions to rapidly develop to take off
- Capitalist model
What preconditions in Modernisation Theory?
raw materials, infrastructure, tech, banking, governance, education
What are the 5 Stages in the Modernisation Theory?
1 - the Traditional Society 2 - Pre-conditions for take off 3 - Take off 4 - The Drive to Maturity 5 - High Mass Consumption
Criticisms of Modernisation Theory
- no explanation for progress
- assumes development is always increasing
- even when preconditions are met, some countries have not taken off
- out of date
Describe the Dependency Theory
- splits world into developed core countries and undeveloped peripheral countries
- suggests that countries remain in their positions of development
- the ‘satellite’ countries provide service to the core
- core’s power is maintained by tariffs, SAPs, privatisation
Criticisms of Dependency Theory
- emerging countries contradict model
- static, suggests countries are permanently undeveloped
Countries that fit Modernisation Theory
‘Asian Tigers’, after China
Countries that fit Dependency Theory
- developed countries that have long been developed, such as UK, USA, W European countries that continue to exploit developing countries w/ SAPs etc
- DRC, which is being exploited for oil
Describe the World Systems Theory
- splits world into three groups
- core , semi periphery, periphery regions
- OECD, USA, EU in core, NICs of S America, Asia in semi-periphery, Developing countries in periphery
- countries are not static in position
- core nations use semi-periphery to manufacture w/ SEZs, and get FDI
- periphery regions provide raw materials and labour
- fits most w/ today’s world; dependency theory fits up until 1980s
Criticisms of World Systems Theory
-shows patterns of power without explaining
Which countries fit World Systems Theory
all
