Superpowers- Enquiry Q2 Flashcards
Define Free Market Capitalism
Private ownership of property and businesses
Wages based on supply vs demand and skill level
Right to make profit and accumulate wealth
Buying/ selling goods and services in a competitive free market with limited restriction
Define centrally- planned economy
Government ownership of property and land
Most businesses state owned
Wages determined centrally
Profit goes to government and used to provide public services
Prices controlled by the government which control supply of goods and services
How does the world economic forum support superpower status
Largely men
National voter instincts often conflict with WEF globalised ideas, many have selfish motives for voting
The davos group
Primarily capitalist nations
Lots of connections and deals made between rich and powerful
Describe the two kinds of TNC
A publicly traded TNC whose shares are owned by numerous shareholders around the world
State owned TNCs that are majority of wholly owned by government
Profit and employee numbers for world top 500 largest companies (2014)
$1.7 Trillion
65 million employees
Why are TNCs so globally dominant ?
Economic scale- outcompete smaller companies
Ability to borrow money and invest
Move towards free-market capitalism and free trade opens up new markets for them to expand into
Pillars of global security
Political
Economic
Social
Judicial
Explain the judicial aspect of global security
International court of justice and international criminal court
The Hague
Problem with UN decision making
Five member states have a veto power
The USA, UK and France vote together, as do China and Russia- causes political deadlock
Often Western powers fail to get agreement in the UN but act unilaterally regardless
How does the UN Security Council work?
5 permanent members 10 rotating non permanent members Have power too: Apply sanctions Authorise use of military force Authorise UN peace keeping force
Why is food production a global environmental concern?
Irrigation causing a decline in water stores and degradation of the landscape
Incentivises forest fires
Water intensive industry
Eutrophication from fertilisers
Deforestation leads to reduction of carbon sink
Why are fossil fuels a global environmental concern
Contamination of fresh water stores
Global warming
Fracking causes earthquakes and aquifer contamination
Extraction decreases biodiversity of local environments
Why is mineral extraction a global environmental concern
Soil degradation
Finite resources
Turf wars
Degradation of natural environment
American attitudes towards climate change
April 2019
69% of Americans believe in climate change
55% believe it is caused by humans
How has the USA’s political action been detrimental to the environment
June 2017, Trump withdrew from Paris agreement- stifled renewable energy industry + steel and home manufacturing increase CO2
2013,
$110 Billion lost in 11 climate disasters
Trump proposed cutting Environmental Protection Agency funding by 31%
