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Superpowers7.1a Characteristics of superpowers
Superpower is a state with a leading position in the international system and the ability to influence
events and its own interests and project power on a worldwide scale. It is a dominant global force,
with hegemony (supreme power) over others.
These can be emerging if they have a large role ina characteristic and are emerging. Regional powers
can project dominating power and influence over other countries within the continent or region. A
hyperpower is a lone superpower such as the USA, USSR and British empire.
Superpower characteristics:
Economic:
● Involving factors such as a large GDP, having a high percentage of international tradeand
being a reserve ‘safe’ currency. This strong economy is normally encouraged by capitalist
policies.
● A large GDP and strong exports, being self sufficienthelps you to not be held by other
countries.
● A strong economy creates influence as a potential market to trade with and home to TNCs and
thus FDI. Furthermore they receive most FDI as these countries are likely to create large
profits.
● TNCs extend the cultural power and hidden political messages of their home country.
Furthermore lobbying and want for their investment gains gives them political influence.
● You are able to impose sanctions if you have a strongeconomic base.
● They determine economic policies such as the G20 deciding global trade.
● They give aid with obligations coming along with this aid helping to allow political influence.
● This underpins the other 5 characteristics such as helping to build a military, develop a
dominant culture, have larger political influence, support a demographic, exploit resources
and develop human ones.
EXAMPLE: The US is 22% of global GDP and the top 10 countries account for 65%. Countries like BP
fund 3% of the UKs military spending. Disneyfication is an example of TNC power promoting western
ideology. 20% of world bank votes are given to the US due to their economic strength.
GeoPolitical:
● The ability to influence the policies of other countriesby dominating negotiations (bilaterally
and through international organisations). Allowing you to get your way through diplomacy.
● Many international organisations do not equally weigh members.
● A larger physical size gives a country access to have larger political influence over more
regions and more natural resources. It allows you to sustain a larger population.
● Size can be a downfall when it leads to being more vulnerable to attack especially when
surrounded by land e.g. India and its conflicts with Pakistan etc. It also depends on what your
territory is like e.g. deserts or warm water ports.
● Factors such as military bases are also important on geographical reach.
EXAMPLE: The G20 contains the 20 largest economies making vital international decisions such as
tackling the banking crisis. Russia is the largest country bordering the Arctic giving it most right to its
resources. China has invested in 71 countries of over 1 trillion dollars in a form of economic
imperialism also helping to impose their ideology in these regions reshaping institutions. 5 countries
have UN veto power for military.
Military:
● Military power with a global reach can be used to achieve political aims as can be used as a
bargaining chip and to achieve political goals.
● It also helps to provide support to other countries in crisis allowing a larger political influence.
● The 5 members of the UN security council have a large job to balance military actions.
, ● It helps to defend and protect current territory and it can help acquire resources which feeds
into economic strength.
● Having allies that are numerous and powerful is vital, also allowing bases which give a larger
range of power.
EXAMPLE: The USA has 37% of global military spending and the most advanced technology, global
nuclear power and over 700 global military bases. China is second at a third of the size of the US.
Cultural:
● The ability to influence beliefs, values, ideology and the way of life internationally.
● This is achieved through the dominance of the media,TNCs or migrants introducing cultural
products.
EXAMPLE: The BBC is shown worldwide exporting political beliefs and cultural traits globally, the UK
is first on the soft power index. Also 9/10 of the top richest tncs are US or Chinese allowing them to
diffuse their culture.
Two less important that come under the above 4 characteristics:
Demographic:
● A large population results in a large cultural diaspora and workers for TNCs and businesses,
● maybe also resulting in cheap labour. It also creates a market spurring economic growth.
● This helps to build an economic power through a large market and economies of scaleand
means the military size can be larger.
● This is not necessary for success as Singapore has half the population size of London but
attracts most of Southeast Asia's investment.
EXAMPLE: China and India are home to over 1 billion people attracting investment due to the cheap
labour pools provided.
Resources:
● The control of access to physical resources (e.g. oil) helping toprovide inputs necessary for
economic growth of all countries andexporting it at a high price to gain economic power. It
creates more independence for countries.
● However exporting raw materials sometimes adds little value to a country.
● Human resources such as education and skill are also important in a country. They are also
sustained by resources such as clean water.
● Resources such as rare earth metals with increasing importance and rising prices give you
larger influence. Resources like oil are declining in importance.
● This may not always be useful as resources without the means to extract them does not create
development and in some countries' resources are controlled by TNCs e.g. BP in Nigeria.
● This can also be brought up by other countries such as China's 240,000 hectares of farmland
in Africa.
EXAMPLE: OPECs leverage over other countries.
7.1b Mechanisms for maintaining power sit on a spectrum from ‘hard’ to ‘soft’ power, which vary in
their effectiveness.
Hard powers use coercion through factors such as military (invading a country) and economic
influence (trade deals and sanctions) to force a country to act in a particular way.
Soft powers use more subtle persuasion of countriesto change minds and influence behaviour, as
they are respected and appealing.
This includes political persuasion (diplomacy), engagement, enterprise and cultural influence. E.g.
movies, BBC and trade organisations. The US lacks a political soft power influence being
unpredictable whilst the UK has extremely high cultural influence.
A smart power uses the balance of both power strategiesto achieve a country's aims, using hard
power only when necessary as it comes at huge costs and sometimes does not work, whilst soft
power alone has little persuasion.
, A regional power has influence on surrounding countries but not on a global scale e.g. Nigeria. Post
super powers include Russia and emerging powers may include Israel.
Unipolar world is where one country has hegemony over others and is the one dominant power. A
bipolar world is two competing countries in the world and multipower is having more than one world
power.
Geopolitics is the impact or role of geographicalfactors such as territorial size, bordering nations,
demographic features, on politics. There are a lot of strategic decisions based on this called
geostrategy.
7.1c Mechanisms for maintaining power
Mackinder's geostrategic location theory (Heartland Theory) is a theory around the Heartland that covers
most of Europe and Asia. Mackinder thought whatever country holds political control over the Heartland
would have dominance over the rest of the world.
This theory is based on the idea that control over land equates to political and military power and so is
geographical in its outlook. The theory supports economic (trade, through shipping routes), military
(defence through the multiple seas), territory (resources, sea port access and land routes into
continents), population and political importance.
This is criticised today and its influence on today’s geopolitical landscape is arguably small:
● This was a time when the train, not the plane, was the main transport method. It was thus
assumed this would be the main transport method especially in relation to trade. Thus this area
is not as dominant today.
● There is increasing dependence on the internet and technology for finance, culture, and theres
breaking down the physical land and sea barriers.
● The US is now the main superpower and it is not part of this land.
● This is arguably not possible to do as the borders are protected by multiple military pacts and its
hard to invade all this area.
However some think it influenced key foreign policies on a global scale and so it is still highly influential
and relevant in geopolitics. This theory resulted in multiple containment policies such as that to limit
Germany to expand to this area after WW1. Especially with the road and belt initiative with multiple
infrastructure being built throughout this area and investment (we are reliant on) showing that China is
having large influence over the heartland.
7.2a The maintenance of power through colonial direct control
Imperialism is the relationship of politics, economicsand cultural control between geographical areas
e.g. the introduction of Christianity.Colonialism is the political rule of a nation by another e.g. the
control of burma.Colonisation is the physical settling of people from a colonial power within their
country e.g. The English in India.
There used to be a multi polar world, with Spain, France and Britain all having multiple empires.
The British Empire
The UK in 1922 controlled over 57 countries (¼ of the world) at the height of control. They would rule
the head offices of society, and use each country to create resources.
3 Stages:
● 1600-1850, this focused on trade of all factors of production mainly on islands such as
Jamaica. Private trading companies like the East India Company were defended by British
forces and operated in these territories.
● 1850-1945, this involved actions extending inland resulting in the imposition of British culture
and religion. They set up governments to rule the colonies and developed trade networks
aided by technology like the railway.
● 1945-, the decolonisation phase was mainly due to the bankrupt UK after the war with it being
very expensive e.g. Bailout needed by the US, who pressured for independence (marshall
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