EQ1 Superpowers Flashcards
(30 cards)
How does USA exert hyperpower status
- Americanisation / cultural influence
- membership of IGOs
- Geographical location and large population
top 3 GDP in 2018?
USA 15% worlds GDP
China 9% worlds GDP
Japan third- but ill change as has ageing popn
who named the BRICS
Jim O’Neill
Brazil weaknesses
- high priced economy
- poor infrastructure
- too dependent on commodity exports
- highly protectionist
Russia weaknesses
- politically supported oligopoly
- shrinking popn
- dependent on oil and gas exports
- crumbling infrastructure
India Weaknesses
- inefficient gov
- messy democracy
- worsening public finance
- demographic dividend may become liability
China weaknesses
- underdeveloped financial sector
- underdeveloped markets
- rising wages and labour unrest due to
Who predicted rise in BRICS and MINTS nations
Goldman-Sachs bank
Who is included in BRICS+ as of 2023
Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and UAE
Saudi Arabia invited but not officially joined
What is mackinders theory
he classified a region of Eurasia as the ‘heartland’, a geostrategic area
Russia to china, Arctic to Himalayas
whoever controlled the heartland controlled large amount of human and physical resources
After WW1, attempts made to limit Germany expanding into this area
why is mackinders theory a less significant theory
tech has advanced and transportation is easier, shrinking world
resources easily transported around the world
advances in military tech means more global influence without having to colonise nations
USA hyperpower and is on exterior of heartland.
give 3 facts about british empire at its peak
205 of global popn
25% of global land mass
largest blue water navy (2x size of next largest germany)
2 phases of british empire growth
- 1600-1850
small colonies and coastal fringes, raw materials and slaves
british private trade companies - 1850-1945
extended inland, large territories gained, introduced british culture, set up government and complex trade
telegraph and trade used to connect empire
7 pieces of evidence of direct British control over India
- British military personnel emigrated to India to run the Raj
- speaking english and European dress
- governor-general resided in Delhi as a symbol of imperial power
- bridge in Kolkata demonstrated imperial wealth and technical prowess
- acculturation as british traditions (cricket, afternoon tea, english language) introduced
- social order maintained differentiated ruling British from Indians
- Modernisation- 61000km railways allowed troop transport and good and services to Britain
5 key reasons the British empire fell
- the Atlantic charter gave every nation right to be ‘ruled as the choose’
- Britain bankrupt after wear so couldn’t afford to maintain hard power of empire
- lost control of pacific during war, showed they couldn’t defend Singapore region
- had to take loans from USA to rebuild, transferred power
- undermined by ANZUS
what was the cold war
USSR VS USA
45 year stand off between powers
rest of globe aligned with one, proxy wars
USA became increasingly global superpower with worldwide military bases
USSR invaded afghanistan, built a core of countries and allied with Eastern Europe
population of USA and USSR 1989, 1991
USA- 287mil
USSR- 291million
USA and USSR physical resources
USA- self sufficient, imported oil
USSR- self sufficient, exported oil
USA and USSR economic system
usa- capitalist, free market economy, global TNCs
USSR- socialist, centrally planned economy, state owned businesses
USA and USSR political system
usa- democracy, freed elections every 4 years
USSR- single party state with no free elections (dictatorship)
USA and USSR allies
USA- western Europe, nato, ties to japan and south Korea
USSR- Easter Europe (Warsaw pact), Cuba, developing nations
neo- colonial mechanisms of power
- strategic alliance
- Aid
- FDI
Debt
Terms of trade (raw materials no tariff)
rise of China
- rapid sustained economic growth
- USA depend on China for manufactured goods
- investments in Africa resources allow continued growth
- growing military
describe potential polarities
Unipolar- one superpower
Bipolar- two competing superpowers
Multipolar- many emerging powers compete for control in different regions
