Detailed and concise study notes from the Power and Developments topic. Ideal for revision Edexcel politics A level.
Covering the following (from the spec)
• Define hard, soft and smart power and give examples of each from recent world events or from case studies of China, Russia and US forei...
Hard Soft Structural
Coercion Manipulation Agenda Setting
- military power - propaganda - institutional design, chairing
- espionage - “fake news” meetings
- nuclear weapons - e.g., the P5 are permanent
Persuasion members of the SC and have a
Economic compulsion - diplomacy veto. They set up the UN and
- sanctions - campaigning are advantaged by this.
Sometimes an element of
Economic inducement economic inducement Decision making
- treaties - legislating
- aid Cultural appeal
- trade deals - popular leader
- widespread culture
- control of resources - desirability
- population size - arts and sports
POWER RESOUCRES AND CAPABILITIES
Hard (military)
• Nuclear capabilities
• Aircraft carriers
• Military bases
• Expertise
Hard – Military AND Economic
• Big population – more soldiers and more workforce
• Trade infrastructure
- e.g., Russia clearing ice from the arctic passage to the US in an attempt to control shipping
lanes first
- e.g., China building ports
Hard (economic)
• Foreign direct investment – allows states to get hold of resources from other countries
- e.g., Norway’s FDI -> use the proceeds from oil into green/renewable energy funds
• Industry and technology
- e.g. the US creation of the internet
,• Access to natural resources
- e.g., the middle east’s control of most of the worlds’
- e.g., Russia’s huge land mass
Structural (political and institutional)
• Internal control and stability
Soft (cultural)
• Strong sporting achievements
e.g., the UK Premier League = primary cultural export
Smart (hard + soft)
• Treaties and trade deals
- e.g., the Iran nuclear deal
- e.g., Russian diplomacy in the Armenian/Azerbaijani war
CLASSIFYING LEVELS OF STATE POWER
Superpower – E.g. the USSR and the USA during the Cold War
Pre-eminent among great powers,
Willing to proactively enforce its world view in international relations,
Great diplomatic influence amongst its allies,
Dominant structural power in IGOs
A dominant economic or strategic role with a very large sphere of influence
A dominant nuclear power
Unparalleled ability to project military power across the globe at any time and at short notice
Client states of superpowers
USA
- All of Western Europe from The UK to West Germany
- Japan
- Liberia
- Iran until 1979 cultural revolution
- Taiwan
- Argentina and Chile
USSR
- Everything East of East Germany e.g. Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and other Warsaw pact countries
- Tanzania and Angola
- Vietnam
- Cuba
2
, Great powers – e.g., Russia, UK France
At least a regional hegemon
Willingness to engage robustly in international relations
Significant diplomatic influence amongst allies
Agenda setting power among IGOs
A significant sphere of influence, and often ex-colonies
Nuclear weapons
Strong military power projection in regional waters and airspace
Waltz emphasises – population and territory size, economic and military strength, natural resources,
political stability and competence
The difference between a great power and a superpower is that they may have less of some of these
things and more of others.
e.g., Russia is very unbalanced and has a poor economy but manages to maintain its Great power
status through its military strength.
Germany has very weak military power but is able to punch above its weight due to its great
economic strength
Regional powers – e.g., Germany, Mexico, India, Brazil, Japan
State can exercise hegemonic power within a region
Structural power is limited to regional organisations
Strength in one area may balance weakness in another
Emerging power – a regional power on the up to Great power
Meet some of the conditions for a great power but not all
Often gain economic power first and other forms are secondary
Powers which emerged in 2000-2010
- India
- China = only one who has actually began to reach great power status
- Brazil
More recently
- Mexico
- Indonesia
- Turkey
- Nigeria
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