Superpowers Flashcards
1
Q
How does USA exert hyperpower status
A
- Americanisation / cultural influence
- membership of IGOs
- Geographical location and large population
2
Q
top 3 GDP in 2018?
A
USA 15% worlds GDP
China 9% worlds GDP
Japan third- but ill change as has ageing popn
3
Q
who named the BRICS
A
Jim O’Neill
4
Q
Brazil weaknesses
A
- high priced economy
- poor infrastructure
- too dependent on commodity exports
- highly protectionist
5
Q
Russia weaknesses
A
- politically supported oligopoly
- shrinking popn
- dependent on oil and gas exports
- crumbling infrastructure
6
Q
India Weaknesses
A
- inefficient gov
- messy democracy
- worsening public finance
- demographic dividend may become liability
7
Q
China weaknesses
A
- underdeveloped financial sector
- underdeveloped markets
- rising wages and labour unrest due to
8
Q
Who predicted rise in BRICS and MINTS nations
A
Goldman-Sachs bank
9
Q
Who is included in BRICS+ as of 2023
A
Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and UAE
Saudi Arabia invited but not officially joined
10
Q
What is mackinders theory
A
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
11
Q
why is mackinders theory a less significant theory
A
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.
12
Q
give 3 facts about british empire at its peak
A
205 of global popn
25% of global land mass
largest blue water navy (2x size of next largest germany)
13
Q
2 phases of british empire growth
A
- 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
14
Q
7 pieces of evidence of direct British control over India
A
- 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
15
Q
5 key reasons the British empire fell
A
- 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
16
Q
what was the cold war
A
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
17
Q
population of USA and USSR 1989, 1991
A
USA- 287mil
USSR- 291million
18
Q
USA and USSR physical resources
A
USA- self sufficient, imported oil
USSR- self sufficient, exported oil
19
Q
USA and USSR economic system
A
usa- capitalist, free market economy, global TNCs
USSR- socialist, centrally planned economy, state owned businesses
20
Q
USA and USSR political system
A
usa- democracy, freed elections every 4 years
USSR- single party state with no free elections (dictatorship)
21
Q
USA and USSR allies
A
USA- western Europe, nato, ties to japan and south Korea
USSR- Easter Europe (Warsaw pact), Cuba, developing nations
22
Q
neo- colonial mechanisms of power
A
- strategic alliance
- Aid
- FDI
Debt
Terms of trade (raw materials no tariff)
23
Q
rise of China
A
- rapid sustained economic growth
- USA depend on China for manufactured goods
- investments in Africa resources allow continued growth
- growing military
24
Q
describe potential polarities
A
Unipolar- one superpower
Bipolar- two competing superpowers
Multipolar- many emerging powers compete for control in different regions
25
what are the pillars of power
military
political
cultural influence
access to natural resources
ECONOMIC
26
what is hard power
using military and economic influence (trade deals and sanctions) to force a country to act a particular way
27
what is soft power
subtle persuasion of countries to act a particular way, persuader is respected and appealing
political persuasion (diplomacy) and cultural influence
28
what % of gdp did USA, EU and Japan account for in 2020
52%
29
30
31
32
33
end of WW2
created by EU and USA to promote free market capitalism
34
- founded 1945
- promotes global stability using Structural Adjustment Plans
- aids economies in opening up to world trade and investment
- comes to the aid of countries in economic difficulty
35
36
37
38
39
decisions
40
41
42
43
Public TNCs- owned by shareholders
e.g. apple, tesco, shell, zara
State led TNCS- owned by the government
e,g, bank of China, EDF, petronas
44
45
46
s
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
s
55
56
57
what are some global actions taken by superpowers
- intervening in war and conflict - when internal conflict threatens to spill into other countries
- crisis response- famine, natural disaster etc
-terrorism response
- response to longer term threats- climate change
- sanction, invasion, fines, support, trade rules
58
which super powers in particular act as global police
USA, Europe to lesser extent
59
how did USA intervene in 2011 Libya Crisis
USA military intelligence used
EU led by France and UK
action against Gaddafi region
60
how did USA intervene in 2010 Haiti Earthquake
USA used vast naval and air force to respond
gave medical, food and infrastructure aid
61
how did USA intervene in 2014 Ebola response in Africa
USA, UK and France led response in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea
deployed military and medical assets alongside WHO
62
how did USA lead 'war on terror'
GW Bush 2003-
leading global effort against Islamic extremist terrorism in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, East Africa and Middle East
Invaded Iraq to find weapons of mass destruction- never found.
63
what is a military alliance
traty between countries which usually involves mutual defense
64
what is mutual defence
if attacked, all members will come to aid of attacked country
65
why are military alliances desirable?
3 reasons
- increase network of military assets spread across world
- political and economic allies can form large bloc to force agenda on rest of world
- allies can be 'eyes and ears' in distant parts of world to spot rouble as it develops
66
how much did USA and its allies spend in 2020
$1.14 trillion
60% of global spending
67
what is the largest global alliance
NATO
68
what does NATO stand for
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
69
how many members in NATO
31 (2023)
70
what is ANZUS
Australia, New Zealand and US security treaty
collective agreement signed in 1951 to protect security of pacific
71
what was ANZUS in response to
concerns that UK couldn't protect regions in WW2
72
strengths of ANZUS
- joint efforts to advance human rights
- promoting international rules-based order
- assisting pacific neighbours
- cooperating on issues of global concern
73
what does the ANZUS treaty require members to do
- maintain ability to resist armed attack
- consult with each other on security matters in pacific
- act to meet any common danger in accordance with constitutional processes
74
what does SCO stand for
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
75
what is SCO
set up 1996 between Chiina, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan
India and China joined in 2017
security and economic organisation, becoming more strategic partnership in Asia
some countries have observer status- iran, belarus, afghanistan
76
what is SCO against
western liberal democracy
eastern rival to NATO??
77
what do countries involved cooperate on
- security- counter-terrorism and cyber-warfare
- military matters- joint exercises ad 'war games'
- cultural and economic co-operation
78
what do economic alliances involve
signing free trade agreements allowing tax tariffs and quota-free trade in goods and services between member countries
79
what is the largest economic alliance
EU
80
how many member countries are in EU
27
81
what is the UN
United Nations
set up 1945
part of an attempt t create new order or peace, prosperity and stability to avoid further world wars
82
what is the most powerful decision-making body within the UN
UN security council
83
what does the UN security council make decisions on
- taking military action against countries seen to be breaking international law or persecuting people
- UN peacekeeping force
- applying economic or diplomatic sanctions to countries - force to change behaviour
84
who are UN security council
UK
USA
France
Russia
China
85
who traditionally vote together on security council?
UK, USA, France vs. Russia, China traditionally (western vs eastern)
USA sided with Russia Feb 2025, unprecedented
86
what sets 5 permanent members of security apart
they have veto power
87
what is UN security council goal?
- keep international peace and security
- encourage international friendship among nations
- cooperate in solving international problems and promoting general development of human rights
- Serve as centre to humanise actions of nations
88
what does the UN international court of justice do?
upholds international law
uses western legal framework - reflecting USA and European powers set up
89
what does UNFCCC stand for
UN framework convention on climate change
90
what are the 4 pillars of global security?
political (security council)
economic (IMF, WB)
social (WHO)
judicial (international court of justice)
91
what are the top global security threats?
- cybersecurity
- emerging technology
- geopolitical tensions and military conflict
- poverty and social inequality
- pandemics and epidemics
92
what are cybersecurity related security threats?
- malware
- deepfakes
- misinformation
threaten supply chains, democracy ad financial stability
93
example of emerging tech that could cause issues
AI
94
what are examples of geopolitical tensions and military conflict that could threaten global security?
- israel-palestine
- russia-ukraine
- US -China naval accident
all lead to global impacts with potential terror and nuclear threat
95
examples of pandemics which could act as security threats
ebola
covid
other unknowns
96
how are economic alliances influential in global decision making
- blocs have huge trading power and keep involved countries switched on
- highest GDP usually controls bloc so has most economic gain from it
97
how are economic alliances not as influential in global decision making
- they can break down- decision making shifts
- voluntary so less stable
- softer power than military
- if shared currency fails then huge risk of decreased influence
98
how are military alliances influential in global decision making
- original powers still in charge
- protector power in charge so can make decisions
- allows hard power interventions to be made
- mutual defence agreements create stability so economic alliances flourish
99
how are military alliances not as influential in global decision making
- catastrophic if fail
- other countries threatened/ feel at risk can act aggressively or defensively
100
how many earths needed if everyone used resources at same rate as the US?
5
101
how many earths needed if everyone used resources at same rate as the UK?
2.8
102
what resources are required to maintain a large economy, wealthy popn, global reach?
energy
minerals
land
water resources
103
what is Europe's predicted decrease in energy demand by 2040
- 256 MTOE
104
what is china's predicted increase in energy demand by 2040?
+ 807 MTOE
105
what does MTOE stand for
million tonnes of oil equivalent
106
why does europe and japans predicted energy demand decrease?
- more efficient energy use technology
- industrial centre has moved away from them
107
how much global coal is used in China
50%
108
why is urban air quality low in emerging power cities?
coal- burning power stations
dramatic increase in car usage
109
what is WHO PM2.5 and PM10 limit? what do many chinese cities including beijing reach?
WHO- 25 per cubc meter
most cities- 200pcm
beijing- reaching 800pcm (32x reccomended)
110
what % of co2 emissions do china and India make up
32%
111
what % of chinas forests disturbed between 1986 and 2020?
39.7%
112
how many people in BRIC economies considered middle class in 2020?
1.7Bn
majority in China
113
what income do goldman sachs bank consider middle class ?
$6,000 < x > $30,000
114
how many people enter growing middle class each year?
100M
113 million expected in 2024
115
how do world data lab define the middle class?
someone who spends at least $12 a day (PPP)
116
how many new asian consumers in 2024
91 million
31 china
33 india
117
where does goldman-sachs believe egypt and nigeria will be in 2075
5th and 7th largest economies in the world
surpassing Japan, Germany, UK
118
how does increase in middle class impact annual economic growth?
every 10% increase in middle class results in extra 0.5% annual increase in economic growth
119
what will chinas meat consumption be if catches up to USA average consumer income
180 million tonnes meat consumed each year- 80% global production in 2015
120
how will chinas coal consumption be if catches up to USA average consumer income
coal consumption in china will exceed global usage
121
impacts of middle class growth on food
- pressure on food supply- new souces needed
- land used for grain converted to livestock farming
- prices driven up, impacts poorest
122
impacts of middle class growth on energy
- increased energy demand by 30% in 2030
- supply issues as more people get cars, home appliances, computers and cars
- prices driven up, poorest impacted
- countries with domestic energy supply having less issues
123
impacts of middle class growth on water
- 2030 predicted 60% India water scarce
- supply issues as tap water becomes norm
- urban water supply an issue in China, Nigeria and Indonesia
124
impacts of middle class growth on resources
- demand for rare earth metals driving gadget price up
- Basic metals (sopper, tin) becoming scarce)
- demand for lithium batteries hard to meet
125
consequence of growing middle class in BRICS
- price of key resources higher
- non renewable resources dwindle
- more mining and oil drilling as pressure on supply of natural resources
- more pollution and emissions, incineration of waste and landfill sites
126
what % of emissions were superpowers responsible for in 2019
65%
127
w do attitudes towards the environment vary between powers?
EU- flatlined emissions due to renewable investments, willing to commit to targets
USA- CO2 flatlined due to efficiency, changeable attitude pre trump. now pulled out of paris agreement again
BRICS- CO2 rising to prioritise economic development, wont commit to targets
128
what was agreed at paris summit 2015
all countries agreed to reduce emissions
China agreed to reduce after 2030
USA signed and pulled out
keep warming below 2 degrees
129
what was agreed at cop26
reduce coal usage directly
promised money to LICs facing impact
china and India changed coal pledge
130
what was agreed at cop28 20023
established a loss and damage fund for most vulnerable countries
Net zero by 2050, phase out fossil fuels
$30 Bn private market climate capitol invested in private sector
131
what is a sphere of influence?
the claim by a state to exclusive or predominant control over a foreign area or territory
OR
a political claim to exclusive control which other nations may or may not recognise
132
how can countries attempt to acquire natural resources through new territory?
invasion and conquest of another country's territory (rare)
claiming offshore, undersea resources by extending a countries exclusive economic zone
133
what countries have lodged claims with UN to increase EEZs into arctic territories?
Canada, USA, Denmark, Russia
-
134
why do countries want to extend EEZs into arctic ocean?
huge oil and gas reserves under the ocean
135
what is the potential impact on environment from oil and gas drilling in arctic?
oils pill risk high
arctic is one of last remaining pristine environments with a large popn (inuit)
136
how much oil was spilled in 2020 in the arctic circle
20000 tonnes
137
how far did the 2020 arctic oil spill travel
12km from site of accident
138
how many people migrated too north caucasian federal district in 2022
150000
139
how much of artic oil and gas did russia produce in 2022?
91%
140
example of economic spheres of influence
intellectual property rights- patents
141
what % of royalty fees were paid to usa, japan and western europe
80% of $150-200bn annual royalty
142
what are negatives of patents
- establishes a monopoly
- HICs always get to them first
- favours tncs
- no duty to make or sell product
- holds back LIC development
143
how can counterfeit goods cause tension?
- causes strain on trade relationships as counterfeits account for 3% global trade
- TNCs limit investment in China and other counterfeit hubs
- total losses of $400-600 annually
- god unsafe or bad quality putting consumer at risk
144
what policies give China a large sphere of influence?
' nine dashed line'
' first and second island chain '
145
