Superpowers Flashcards
1
Q
world bank
A
- lend money to developing and emerging economies to promote development
- this is done within a western capitalist model
- the money comes from developed countries
2
Q
world trade organisation
A
- regulated trade and reduced protectionism by removing taxes.
- it has failed to protect developed nations from protecting its own industries. This impacts developing countries as they produce becomes less competitive.
3
Q
how does China use IGOs to influence the world economy?
A
- veto power within the UN security council, influencing aid in times of military conflict
- in 2019 China held 5% of votes in the World bank (highest after Japan and the USA)
4
Q
how does the USA use IGOs to influence the world economy?
A
- NATO was founded in Washington in 1949, giving the USA a large military alliance to control European might.
- 4 European countries including Britain have granted the US access to their military bases. it dominate North Atlantic, Med and Pacific
5
Q
IMF
A
- promotes global economic stability
- helps economies open up to trade and investment
- helps countries when in difficulty
6
Q
how do superpowers use IGOs to increase their influence?
A
- by plating representatives in these IGOs, they can represent their needs and therefore sway global initiatives
- forms alliance and therefore cooperation. E.g. trade agreements.
7
Q
public TNCs
A
- owned by private shareholders
- they have high cultural capital and can therefore undergo glocalisation.
- common in capitalist, free-market economies
8
Q
state-led TNCs
A
- owned by governments
- common in China and Russia and often within strategic industries and utilities such as banking, oil and manufacturing.
- they have a large backing and lots of funding, allowing them to monopolise markets and force people to buy from them.
- this can’t happen in the USA due to monopoly laws.
- all profits can go into long term developments of their country.
9
Q
why are TNCs important for economic power?
A
- in 2015, 200 largest TNCs produced 25% of global output
- economies of scale as can outsource goods cheaper than national firms.
- apple’s global revenue equates to GDP of Finland
- most come from Western countries, 25% from the USA.
- they can use their profits to lobby governments, exerting political power. This may lead to trade favouring the superpower
10
Q
why are tech TNCs so big?
A
- lots of potential for innovation. With sport there is market saturation.
- social media exploded and provided a platform for technological growth
- easer to set up businesses as you don’t need to fund marketing in the same way (social media instead)
11
Q
how do TNCs influence trade routes?
A
- where TNCs outsource influences supply chains and areas of growth through FDI
- partly responsible for the global shift and the increased dependency between the East and West
12
Q
how do superpowers have a large cultural influence?
A
- TNCs such as McDonalds spread western cuisine and Nike spread fashion.
- they spread American English as a global language
13
Q
patents
A
- the protection of ideas/creations to ensure the rights of the inventors are protected.
- during this time they can make a profit from their discovery as high royalty fees are charged
- patenting is done as TNCs invest huge sums of money into research and therefore this ensures it is economically viable and worth their time.
- they may increase innovation as competitors are forced to come up with new ideas
14
Q
drawbacks of patents
A
- can increase dependency as many developing countries cannot compete with said innovation and are often forced to pay for western ideas.
- e.g. vitamin A deficient and golden rice
- patent laws mean that anyone who develops GM crops also owns every crop produced from these seeds in the future. This coerces farmers into signing contracts which either agree to not plant from these seeds in the future or to use TNC owned fertilizers.
- over one billion of the world’s poorest people rely on saved seeds, many often don’t have the ability to buy new crops each year and therefore are forced to take out loans. Rising interest rates of loans creates economic dependency.
- governments pay large sums of money to have access to pharmaceuticals. Zambia spends 30 times more on paracetamol than the USA . This creates dependency as it means that African populations cannot be healthy without intervention from the patented companies in the developed world, whose primary concern is often to make a profit.
15
Q
benefits to patents (has it changed recently)?
A
- WTO is working to bend the rules for developing countries and allow cheaper imports
- some companies such as GlaxoSmithKline have said they will not file patents in 50 developing countries. This broadens access to medicines
16
Q
NATO -military alliance
A
- 28 countries that Border the North Atlantic Ocean
- promote democratic values. during the Cold War, it united western powers against the USSR, meaning they laced missile bases throughout Europe. This stoped the spread of communism.
- used after 9/11 aftermath
- they can intervene during international crisis, creating a no fly zone and an arms embargo in Libya to protect civilians during Gadhafi’s civil war
17
Q
drawbacks of NATO
A
- fosters dependency
- expensive as has to maintain bases around the world.
- loss of sovereignty as raises questions about whether IGOs should involve themselves in foreign affairs they aren’t part of
18
Q
Economic alliance - NAFTA
A
- North America, Canada and Mexico
- world’s largest free trade area
- eliminates tariffs, removes investment restrictions and protects patents and working standards. this creates stability as people are no dependent and so much cooperate
- investment into Mexico and Canada increased by factor 7
- also helps to spread information effectively. This helps to stop illegal activity, controlling the drug cartels and leading to less gang violence
19
Q
drawbacks of NAFTA
A
- criticised for taking US jobs.
- many industries moves to Mexico due to cheaper land and labour prices whilst others threatened relocating to suppress unions
20
Q
environmental alliances - IPCC
A
- raise awareness about climate change as pioneers environmental research. This creates more public awareness and therefore support for issues like refugees.
- for example, they said that CC was 95% human
- attends international conferences (e.g. Marrakesh agreement). Here, it can outline guideline and pioneer initiatives.
- this reduces tension as different countries have the same approach.
- created in 1988 and has 195 members
- However, it is weakened by a lack of accountability/consequences meaning it is not legally binding and there is no real incentive to comply (Revealed Preference Theory).
21
Q
IPCC drawbacks
A
- criticised for making incorrect statements.
- their 4th report said that the Himalayan glacier would disappear by 2035, based on poorly substantiated estimates for rate of recession
22
Q
UN Security Council
A
- four permanent members (USA, UK, Russia and China) responsible for maintaining peace
- encourages cooperation to solve problems
- maintain human rights
23
Q
what steps do the UN take when conflicts occur?
A
- step one is a fact finding mission
- step two they issue a ceasefire and deploy peacekeeping troops
- step three economic sanctions, military blockades etc
24
Q
issues with the UN Security Council?
A
- it is so big that there is not enough time to consult everyone.
- everyone has a different political ideology (half of the permeant members are form the west and half the east). This makes it harder to agree on a workable solution
- expensive to run
- being voted in is reliant on diplomacy rathe than who is most appropriate.
- the issues they are facing have become more complex due to globalisation
25
Q
UN international courts of justice
A
- deter crime by raising the stakes of illegal activity. it means dictators know that they aren’t above the law and so can be held accountable. this makes them less inclined to do bad things
- ensures that international law is fair as there cannot be two statement from the same country ensuring equal representation. this means law isn’t tailored towards one nation.
26
Q
UN World Health Organisation
A
- aid during epidemics as they set up isolation zones during Ebola. This prevented the movement of people, containing the disease
- publish guidelines on health (e.g. air and water quality). This ensures countries make public health a priority rather than bypassing it to consolidate control. This means countries work towards common standards.
27
Q
UN World Trade Organisation
A
- creates global trade rules. E.g. removing tariffs like at the 1986 Uruguay Round Negotiations which created 30 shared agreements
- they settle disputes to resolve conflict. Judgements are made by specially appointed experts. (500 cases have been resolved)
28
Q
facts about emissions
A
- China is the largest CO2 emitter at over 7 million tonnes
- US’s largest export is agriculture so requires lots of water
- China is the largest meat consumer
- Brazil has the largest cattle farming establishment
- South America has the largest forest loss
