Superpowers and international decision making

Question 1

How do weaker countries look to superpowers in time of crisis?

Answer 1

Intervening in war and conflict.
Taking action in terms of crisis response e.g. natural disaster or famine.
Responding to terrorism.
Responding to long-term threats such as climate change.

Question 2

What are the origins of the idea of a ‘global policeman’?

Answer 2

The idea of a ‘global policeman’ dates back to 1942, when the US President Roosevelt argued that the USA, UK, Russia and China should ‘police the world’

Question 3

What was the response to the 2-14 Ebola epidemic?

Answer 3

The USA, UK and France led the crisis response in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, deploying military and medical assets.

Question 4

What was the response to the 2011 Libya crisis?

Answer 4

The EU, led by France and the UK, took military action against the Gaddafi regime, with the help of the US military intelligence.

Question 5

What was the response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake?

Answer 5

The USA used its vast naval and air force assets to respond to this disaster with medical, food and infrastructure aid.

Question 6

What is the War on Terror?

Answer 6

Since 2001, the USA has led a global effort against Islamic terrorism in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, East Africa and the Middle East.

Question 7

What are the benefits of alliances?

Answer 7

Allies can be ‘eyes and ears’ in distant parts of the world, spotting trouble as it develops.
Allies increase the network of military assets spread around the world.
Political and economic allies can form a large bloc, to force their agenda on the wider world.

Question 8

What is a military alliance?

Answer 8

A military alliance is a treaty between countries that usually involves mutual defence, i.e. if attacked, all alliance member will come to the aid of the attacked country.

Question 9

What are the USA’s military alliances?

Answer 9

NATO
ANZUS
Strategic Co-operation agreement Israel
Mutual defence treaty Philipeans
Taiwan relations act
Military alliance South Korea
Security alliance Japan

Question 10

How much of global military spending does USA contribute?

Answer 10

58%

Question 11

What does a free-trade agreement allow for?

Answer 11

A free-trade agreement allows for tax, tariff and quota-free trade between member countries in goods and/or services.

Question 12

Examples of major free trade agreements

Answer 12

The EU
NAFTA
ASEAN

Question 13

When was the United Nations set up?

Answer 13

1945

Question 14

What did the UN originally attempt to do?

Answer 14

To create a new world order of peace, prosperity and stability and avoid further world wars.

Question 15

What is the most powerful decision making body in the United Nations?

Answer 15

The Security Council

Question 16

What decisions does the UN’s Security Council make?

Answer 16

Taking military action against countries seen to be breaking international law or persecuting people.
Applying economic or diplomatic sanctions to countries, to try to force them to change their behavior.

Question 17

Who are the five permanent members of the UN’s Security Council?

Answer 17

USA
UK
France
Russia
China

Question 18

Which countries in the UN’s Security Council tend to vote the same way?

Answer 18

USA, UK and France tend to vote together

Russia and China tend to vote together

Question 19

What missions can be set up by the UN, sourcing armed forces from member states?

Answer 19

Peacekeeping missions

Question 20

What does the International Court of Justice do?

Answer 20

Upholds international law; its legal framework is a Western one, reflecting the fact that the UN was set up by the USA and European powers.

Question 21

What is the IPCC (Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change)

Answer 21

A group of scientists that reports on global warming roughly once every 5 years.