Superpowers EQ1 Flashcards
What is a superpower?
A superpower in a nation with the ability to project its influence anywhere in the world and be a dominant global force. It describes the three dominant world power throughout time British empire, USSR and USA
What is the definition of an emerging superpower?
Emerging powers are those nations who’s economic, military and political influence is already large and is exponentially growing.
E.g. BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China)
What is the definition of regional powers?
Regional powers are those the can project dominating power and influence over their countries within the continent or region.
E.g. England, Germany, France in Europe
South Africa and Nigeria in Africa
What are the 5 pillars of power?
Superpower status deepens on the pillars of power with USA having all of these pillars and China lacking cultural and political power it includes
- political
- military
-cultural
- resources
- economic (underpin and hold the other pillars up)
What is economic power?
Economic power underpins all the other pillars as the ‘base’. A large and powerful economy gives nations the wealth to build and maintain a powerful military and political system, exploit natural resources and spread culture. It includes.
What characteristics do counties with large economic power have?
- large GDP (high % of international trade, currency uses as reserve currency)
- a large GDP (home of TNCs and creates induce as potential market)
E.g. USA has the worlds largest total GDP $18.5 trillion
What is political power?
This is the ability to influence the policies of other counties through the dominance of negotiations. Many international organisations don’t equally value each ember with voting controlled by economic contribution allowing these countries to essentially ‘get there way’ allowing them to continue benefiting and growing.
What is military power?
Military power can be used as a threat of military action (which is a powerful bargaining chip) and can be used to achieve geopolitical goals. Military power includes blue water navy, drones and missiles.
E.g. Russia has the most nuclear warheads (1750) and China has just developed its blue water navy .
What is a blue water navy?
A navy that can deploy into the open oceans.
What is cultural power?
This is the ability to influence the beliefs, values, ideology and way of life in other countries. This is achieved by dominance of media, TNCs introducing cultural products. It is indicated through the spread of language, food and clothing.
E.g. USA has the highest percent (27%) of the worlds 20 largest TNCs
What is resource power?
This can be in the form of physical resources (fossil fuels, energy and minerals) but also human resources such as education level, skills and demographic weight. It helps nations gain power as they
- proved input for economic growth
- export as high price gaining economic power (e.g. OPEC with oil)
How does demographic weight help gain superpower status?
- a large population means a large diaspora and workers at TNCs
- assists economic power due to a rage markets
- larger armies
E.g. China has largest population of 1382 million
What is hard power?
Hard power is the use of military and economic influence to force a countries to act in a particular way.
What does hard power include?
It includes
- military action and conquest (or the threat of it)
- creation of alliances (economic and military) to marginalise some nations
- economic sanctions
What is soft power?
Soft power is the more subtle persuasion of countries to act in a particular way, on the basis that the persuader is respected and appealing.
What does soft power include?
- cultural attractiveness influence other nations through media and film
- political persuasion (diplomacy)
- moral authority of a nations foreign policy
What is Joseph Nyes option on hard and soft power?
Nye argued that the most powerful countries utilise ‘smart’ power which is a combination of hard and soft mechanisms to get their own way.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of hard power?
Hard power has become less important over time.
+ it can get results
- it’s expensive and risky
- some view military’s actions as unnecessary or illegal so the aggressor may loos allies and moral authority (Russia on Ukraine)
What are the advantages and disadvantages of hard power?
Hard power has become less important over time.
+ it can get results
- it’s expensive and risky
- some view military’s actions as unnecessary or illegal so the aggressor may loos allies and moral authority (Russia on Ukraine)
What are the advantages and disadvantages of soft power?
The importance of soft power has increased over time
- it relies in a country having respected culture, values and politics
+ it’s low cost
+ it’s all about creating alliances and friendly relations, this ideology at spread to other countries
How has the importance of hard and soft power changed over the years?
Broadly, hard power has become less important and soft power more important over time. During the colonial and imperial era powerful countries conquered and controlled territory by military force. However, in the 21sr century countries cannot move military hardware about like chess pieces, so soft power diplomacy is proportionately more important.
What is an example of use of hard power?
- the Russian annexation of Crimea, Ukraine in 2013 and its invasions in 2022. EU, USA responded with economic sanctions.
- Gulf war. The invasion of Iraq in 2003 lead by US forces in Afghanistan.
How is the UK an example of soft power?
- 5th largest economy (attractive market and a source of TNC FDI)
- diplomacy
- benefits from its moral authority
- BBC World Service (neutral and more reliable than many government media)
- films
- London dominate international finance, banking and law setting standards and values
What is the Heartland theory?
Mackinder in 1904 prosper the heartland theory. It states that the country that controls Eastern Europe (the Heartland) will gain control of the world islands (Africa and Eurasia), they will be able to control the world. He argued that the heartland was the key geo-strategic location due to its control over the worlds physical and human resources and difficulties for invasion making it a power base.
What did the Heartland theory influence?
- persuaded the USA, US and other European countries that’s Russia needed to be contained (prevented from taking over new land)
- reinforced the idea that control of physical resources was important
Why is the heartland theory inadequate today?
- modern military technology can hit deep inside another countries territory (size is no longer a protection)
- physical resources traded internationally
- war and conflict are generally seen as abnormal
What are the differnt types of geopolitical polarity?
- Unipolar (a world dominated by one superpower) e.g. The British Empire or the US today
- Bipolar (A world dominated by two superpowers with opposing ideologies (USA and USSR in the Cold War era)
- multipolar (more complex world wind many superpowers and emerging powers)