Superpowers (DONE) Flashcards
What is a superpower?
- A superpower is a nation, or group of nations, with a leading position in international politics.
What is the history of the UK as a superpower?
- From the mid-19th century to the early 20th century the UK was arguably the world’s superpower, having successfully created a global empire with strong trading links, which it then defended against challenges by other European countries.
How did the UK manage to lose their superpower status to the USA?
- Following the intervention of the USA in two world wars, the UK was in massive debt to the USA which started to emerge as a superpower, challenged by Russia during the Cold War.
- After colonising many countries the UK could not afford to continue to populate these countries and the ethical stance also meant that the UK gave up control of a lot of land.
How did regional powers arise within continents a cross the world?
- The USA established sole authority during the Cold War, but the long-term legacy of change, especially through the globalisation of freedom and democracy, meant that within each continent a number of countries can now claim to have significant influence.
- These regional powers include countries such as Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Chile, Australia, India and, within Europe, Germany and the UK.
Why do some people see China as a threat to the USA superpower status?
- As a resurgent China benefits from its own unique twist on capitalism, some see its wealth and influence as a future challenge to the USA’s status as the primary global economic superpower.
How does USA’s GDP compare to China’s?
- The USA’s per capita GDP was US$53,000 compared to China’s US$6,000 (note that there are different ways to measure GDP, some of which suggest the gap is much smaller).
What % of financial transactions occur in US dollars?
- 80 per cent of all financial transactions and 87 per cent of foreign currency market transactions are in US dollars
How does the military spending of China and USA compare?
- The USA’s military spending is four to five times that of China, accounting for 37 per cent of global military spending
How many settled migrants do the USA have?
- The USA is the most favoured destination for migration - 45 million people living the USA were born in a foreign country, four times that of the next-highest country
How much money does USA give as financial assistance?
- The USA hands out the most money in the world in financial assistance (US$33 billion), with the UK being second (US$19 billion)
How many of the top universities are in the USA?
- 16 of the top 20 universities in the world are in the USA.
What are economic characteristics of superpowers?
Economic:
- High GDP and high levels of trade, including influence over global trade
- Home to many TNCs
- Hard currency held in reserve by other countries.
What are political characteristics of superpowers?
Political:
- Permanent seat on the UN Security Council, together with powerful allies.
- Many multilateral agreements
What are military characteristics of superpowers?
Military:
- High expenditure, largest amount of hardware and personnel, including
nuclear weapons.
- Could command global military control.
- Unparalleled intelligence networks.
- Exporters of technology.
What are cultural characteristics of superpowers?
Cultural:
- Long-standing tradition and rich cultural history or way of life voluntarily enjoyed by many around the world, for example music and fashion.
What are demographic characteristics of superpowers?
Demographic:
- Significant percentage of global population
- Attracts skilled migrants and other workers.
What are resource characteristics of superpowers?
Access to resources:
- Able to export and control the supply of valuable commodities, for example oil, or able to secure the resources it needs.
- On the other hand, multiple resources make a country less dependent on others (e.g. energy security)
- Occupying a world location that enables it to command influence
How did Mussolini maintain power in Italy in the 1930s?
- Writing about soft power, Antonio Gramsci (an Italian Marxist and geopolitical theorist) was inspired by how Mussolini had maintained power in Italy in the 1930s.
- The Italian people’s willingness to accept the government’s values kept Mussolini in power without the use of force.
- Gramsci described this as a form of ‘cultural hegemony’, or what Professor Joseph Nye of Harvard University has described as non-coercive, soft power that attracts and co-opts the views and agreement of other countries.
Why does the UK still have considerable global influence without being a global superpower?
- Successful use of soft power explains why the UK, while no longer a global superpower, continues to exert considerable influence around the world.
What are the 3 main features of soft power?
- History
- Culture
- diplomacy
How does the UK use their history of education as a form of soft power?
- families from all over the world send their children to study at British universities, particularly those in London, Oxford and Cambridge.
How does the UK use their history of the British empire as soft power?
- The cultural and other relationships established through the British Empire live on through the Commonwealth.
How does the UK use their history of creating the common-law legal approach as soft power?
- The British common-law legal approach (case law), where judges decide cases on the basis of previous judicial outcomes, and other aspects of our legal system, are widely modelled around the world, while its neutrality, transparency and continued development (which are attractive to companies) have facilitated the powerful growth of international finance in the City of London.
How does the UK use its culture in media and language as soft power?
- the BBC is a major international broadcaster and besides a rich literary, artistic and musical legacy, English is the most widely spoken language after Mandarin.