Superpowers

• Superpower magnificent seven:

  • Physical size and geographic position
• Superpower magnificent seven:

  • Economic power + influence (most important)
• Superpower magnificent seven:

  • Population
• Superpower magnificent seven:

  • Political influence
• Superpower magnificent seven:

  • Military influence
• Superpower magnificent seven:

  • Cultural influence
• Superpower magnificent seven:

  • Natural resources
• Hard power (military force)

  
  

  Soft power (cultural attractiveness)
• Types of superpowers:

  • Unipolar = a world dominated by one hyper/super power
• Types of superpowers:

  • Bipolar = a world ruled by two powers
• Types of superpowers:

  • Multipolar = power split between two countries, more or less equally split
• Colonialism = where an external nation takes direct control of a territory, often by force
• Modernisation theory:

  • Every country can move through 5 stages of economic development. All countries follow same pathway
  • Not all countries can become "superpowers". Must always be "poorer / manufacturing" countries
• Dependency theory:

  • World has economic core and periphery. Core deliberatly keeps periphery under developed via exploitation
  • Shows relationship between countries but is static and doesn't show change e.g. China
• World systems theory:

  • Three tiers: core, semi periphery and periphery.
  • More dynamic and shows change. Rise of BRICS
• Kondratiev cycle - major event which changes world structure. Happens every 40 - 60 years
• Global trade increased by at least 46% each decade between 1960 - 2010. (aided by Global shift)
• TNCS now account for 80% of all global trade
• TRIPS: trade related to intellectual property. Some pharmacutical companies such as gloxosmithcline are suing Columbian gov for using generic copy.

  But Hongda in China and it's not being enforced well - copyright
• Walmart revenue in 2015 of $485b
• Apple brand value of $170b. Google $120b (2015) Top 16 in 2015 were all private companies and mostly American
• Culture = the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs of a particular group of people at a particular time
• Ideology = a system of ideas and ideals, especially one which forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy
• UN security council:

  • 5 permanent seats (US, uk, Russia, China and France)
  • 10 rotating members
  • Permanent countries can veto agendas
• UN security council:

  • France veto'd US and UK invading Iraq but they did so anyway.
• ICJ (international court of Justice)

  • Settles disputes between UN countries according to international law
  • Has 15 judges which represent different global regions
• ICJ:

  • Warrant for Putin after Ukraine but none for US + UK after Iraq invasion
• IPCC = independent panel of climate change
• UNFCC = inited nations framework covention of climate change
• UNFCC + IPCC purpose:

  • COP agreements - not legally binding. 1997 Kyoto summit didn't even invite India and China
  • 2019 Trump pulled out of Paris accord (2015). Threatend to do so again
• Why do countries form economic + military alliances?

  Creates a powerful axis of economic and military alliances which reflects the ideology of the block

  Capitalism also pushed, further supporting the US
• Importance of military + economic alliances:

  • No wars means global economy functions as normal. Supports USA + TNCS
  • Alliances reduce reliance on China + encourages capitalism
• Global demand for resources from 2000 to 2015:

  • Population increased by 22%
• Global demand for resources from 2000 to 2015:

  • Coal increased by 54%
• Global demand for resources from 2000 to 2015:

  • Fish increased by 40%
• Global demand for resources from 2000 to 2015:

  • COpper increased by 53%
• Main consumers of commodities:

  • Oil: USA = 24%, China = 9%
• Main consumers of commodities:

  • Rice: China = 30%, India = 21%
• Main consumers of commodities:

  • Coal: China = 39%, USA = 16%
• Middle class population in China:

  • 2016 = 500m
  • 2030 = 1.2b