superpowers

• Superpower


  A nation which has the ability to project its influence around the world
• Four pillars of Superpower status

  • Economic
  • Military
  • Political & Ideology
  • Cultural
• Resources


  Physical resources like oil and gas, and human resources like a large workforce
• The current global superpower is considered to be the USA, closely followed by the EU
• Hard power


  Using military and direct political intervention to change or influence the behaviour of other countries
• Soft power


  Attracting national governments and individuals to their country through attractive culture & lifestyle, sought-after political advice, foreign policies that encourage migration, trade alliances, and foreign direct investment
• Mackinder's Geo-Strategic Location Theory


  • The 'Heartland' region of Eurasia stretching from Russia to China and from the Arctic to the Himalayas is a geo-strategic location because whoever controls it would control large amounts of physical and human resources
  • Attempts were made to limit Germany's expansion into this strategic area after WWI, and to contain the Soviets from expanding into south and west Europe after WWII
  • As technology has advanced, the shrinking world has reduced the locational importance of the Heartland
• Wallerstein's World Systems Theory


  • Identifies two different economic areas within the world - the core and the periphery
  • Core regions are economic powerhouses and control most aspects of global trade
  • The periphery provides labour and materials for the core nations
  • Relationships between the core and periphery were exploitative in the past through colonialism and hard power, and are now centred around trade agreements which often benefit the core more than the periphery

  
• Rostow's Modernisation Theory


  • Countries pass through five stages as they grow economically and become developed: Traditional Society, Pre-conditions for Take Off, Take Off, Drive to Maturity, High Mass Consumption
  • The theory is based largely on American and European development and ignores the stages of growth other nations may go through
  • The theory only considers the advancement of development and does not describe a nation that is declining
  • The theory only considers a country in isolation from the world, where the development is the sole responsibility of the country itself
• Types of Polarity


  • Unipolar world
  • Bi-polar world
  • Multi-polar world
• Colonialism


  • Successes: Railway lines were built, the English language spread, education was improved
  • Negative impacts: Crops were bought at low prices and sold for large amounts, many colonies did not have their own governments, discriminating policies were established
  • Empires collapsed in the 20th century due to bankruptcy, focus on rebuilding home countries, and anti-colonial movements
• Neo-colonialism


  The continued dependence of former colonies on other countries after their independence, where more powerful developed countries use their relationship with less developed countries for their own benefit
• Frank's Dependency Model explains the cycle of neo-colonialism, where the neo-colony becomes dependent on the neo-colonial power controlling it

  
• During the colonial era, Empires exploited their colonies for a variety of commodities: sugar, cotton, tea
• The development of Lancashire was based on the cheap import of cotton from plantations in America; cotton would be manufactured in large mills, through a largely mechanised process (faster rate of production and cheaper to run) so Lancashire companies made large profits
• Mozambique has given fishing rights to China, in return for infrastructure (hospitals, airports, roads). China actually has 1 million of its people living in Africa and has invested over $40 billion into African nations
• Local fishermen are now out-competed, losing their source of income and instead having to work for Chinese fishing boats for less money
• The IMF and World Bank have both been accused of being 'neo-colonial'. They provide loans to developing nations, but with high rates of repayment and conditions if the developing nation is unable to repay. Therefore, developing nations become 'trapped' in a cycle of debt and have to open their economies to private companies (governments lose assets and income, making them even less likely to repay their debts)
• Cold War


  A time of geopolitical tension between the USA and USSR from 1945 to 1990
• USA


  • Democratic society based on a capitalist economy
• USSR


  • Under communist rule and had a centrally-owned economy
• The USSR installed communist governments in Eastern Europe (e.g. in Poland and Hungary). These countries were of strategic importance to the USSR as they provided a 'shield' in case the West attacked Russia
• The border between Eastern and Western Europe became known as The Iron Curtain and was heavily defended by opposing parties
• The countries supporting the USSR formed the Warsaw Pact (a military agreement of alliance)
• The USA created NATO, which its allies joined to cooperate military powers
• After 1945, the USA provided billions of dollars' worth of aid to many European nations to rebuild after the wars
• The USA also invested significant amount into Japan, Singapore and The Philippines in order to protect these countries from being influenced by communism
• The Space Race became a competition of knowledge and economic capacity between the USA and USSR. Despite the fact that the USSR sent the first man (Yuri Gagarin) and first satellite (Sputnik) into space, many believe that the USA won after sending Apollo 11 to the moon
• Proxy wars


  Wars where the two sides supported opposing groups instead of fighting directly
• After the collapse of the USSR, the USA became the global dominating force again
• Emerging economies tend to be based on free-market capitalism
• Socialist economies collapsed in the USSR and Eastern Europe
• China has moved away from socialism to a model known as state capitalism
• There has been reform in communist Cuba allowing some limited private ownership of businesses
• Groups of states


  • BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China & South Africa)
  • G20 (Includes the EU and countries like Turkey, Indonesia, South Korea, Saudi, Mexico)
• The G20 economies account for 85% of the world's GDP and 85% of the world's trade, hence are more influential
• BRICS may overtake G20 and become most influential with changing industries and the adoption of new political approaches & ideology
• Emerging country


  A state that has a developing economy or government and has large projected growth
• Brazil is important regionally for South America as it produces more than 50% of S. America's GDP
• Brazil has large reserves of natural resources and has energy and food security. It is self-sufficient in producing and sourcing its own food and energy resources