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Jetzt kostenlos anmeldenA global superpower is a nation that has an influence on other nations.
Superpowers of the world are likely to be the countries that you hear about in the news. This is because these countries present as geopolitical threats to each other. Imagine countries of the world like packs of animals in the safari: larger predators are more powerful and have more prey options; smaller predators may follow a larger predator and take the leftovers. Measures of dominance explain the reasons why some predators are more successful than others.
There are many levels of hierarchy between superpowers of the world:
China is a frequently used example to compare against the United States as the modern 2 global superpowers in the exams. Make sure you read up on China's rise to power and its future struggles for a good grounding.
Measures of dominance refer to strategies used by a country to project its influence: most commonly through economics, military, and culture. The pattern of dominance changes over time. This results in variable geopolitical risks. The events following World War II and the Cold War have dramatically changed today's pattern of power.
If you walk down the street of a western town, it's likely that someone has heard of the British royal family or the titles of several Hollywood movies. This is an example of the cultural presence of superpowers in our lives. We become acclimated to their visions. However, international culture is not the only measure of dominance exerted by a superpowers of the world.
Broadly speaking, superpowers of the world can be measured by their:
Economic power and size
Political and military power
Culture, demographics and resources
Geo-strategic location and local patterns of power are other factors that can contribute to the rise of a country to become an emerging superpower of the world. The development of a superpower of the world varies on different factors but can be generally represented by legs that form the stool of sustainability. One leg could be a bit shorter, resulting in the instability of power held by the superpowers of the world.
Economic power is related to the country's purchasing power. The purchasing power is determined by the strength of the country's currency. The American dollar is currently considered the most powerful currency, and other countries hold it for emergency backup in their central banks. There was a global economic depression when the value of the American dollar crashed during the Great Depression in the 1920s.
Stable geopolitics, in the form of harmonious relationships between countries, allow steady development of the economy. Political alliances and strong military presences are possible strategies to ensure stable international relations. Economic and political alliances include the European Union and the United Nations Security Council. Superpowers influence the direction of these groups.
You are aware of the presence of superpowers in your everyday lives, from your 'Made in China' clothes to your Apple iPad. Branding is a typical soft power example. By the laws of supply and demand, superpowers contain TNCs (transnational companies) that could monopolize a market to exert power, such as the Amazon empire. The monopolisation of a market is considered modern-day hard power.
Resources are also controlled by groups: oil prices and the work of OPEC is a good example.
Countries that have been global superpowers ties quite nicely to the dominant forces in the history of globalisation. This is because limitations in technology and migration resulted only in countries' ability to maintain regional power. Historically, the United Kingdom led by the British Empire is considered one of the first global superpowers. This is debated by the attempted rejuvenation of the Chinese Silk Road in the One Belt One Road initiative. It argues that China connected Asia through trade during the 10th century. World power was divided again during the World Wars with Germany, then Soviet Union (Russia) and the United States gaining spheres of influence. This is explored further in the article Theory of Development.
Economic size and power | Political and Military Power | Culture, Demographics and Resources | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GDP per capita (US $) | Total Value of Exports (US $) | Active military size | Military Spending (US $ B) | Population Size | Main Languages | Natural resources | |
United States | 65k | 1.51T | 1.4M | 778 | 331M | English | Coal Copper Iron Natural Gas |
Brazil | 8.7k | 230B | 334k | 25.9 | 212M | Portuguese | Tin Iron Phosphate |
Russia | 11k | 407B | 1M | 61.7 | 145M | Russian | Cobalt Chrome Copper Gold |
India | 2k | 330B | 1.4M | 72.9 | 1.3B | Hindi English | Coal Iron Mangese Bauxite |
China | 10k | 2.57T | 2M | 252 | 1.4B | Mandarin | Coal Oil Natural Gas Aluminum |
United Kingdom | 42k | 446B | 150k | 59.2 | 67M | English | Coal Petroleum Natural Gas |
Germany | 46k | 1.44T | 178k | 52.8 | 83M | German | Timber Natural Gas Coal Lignite Selenium |
Singapore | 65k | 301B | 72k | 11.56 | 5.8M | English Malay Tamil Mandarin | Arable Land Fish |
Japan | 40k | 705B | 247k | 49.1 | 125.8M | Japanese | CoalIron OreZincLead |
France | 38k | 556B | 204k | 52.7 | 67.3M | French | CoalIron oreZincUranium |
A typical data interpretation exam question for superpowers may include a table comparing statistics of different countries. You will need to compare and contrast the data provided. From the table above, some points that you could highlight include:
The key to achieving higher marks is to add a short example or explanation of the point that you are illustrating.
Using the same example:
"The USA, United Kingdom, India and Singapore share the common language of English which could be mutually beneficial to their development."
An example would be the utilization of India as the 'call centre of the world' which have contributed to the growing number of the Indian middle class and development of internet infrastructure to more cities. (example)
These countries share a common language as a result of the prehistoric British colonization. (explanation)
The United States plays many roles as the "world leader". These roles cement American ideals to other nations by a mixture of soft power and hard power. This has been more difficult over the years as the U.S. government is increasingly scrutinised for its domestic policies and international relations. This includes the actions driven by its alliances with IGOs and TNCs.
Global influence is changing as the world listens less to its “leader”. Power is siphoned by new groups: emerging powers and IGOs like OPEC are examples. Different schools of geopolitical development theories debate the rise and possible falls of current power sources. Such an idea is the stool of sustainability for the development of superpower status. This contains “legs” that gave rise to power, which are: economic power and size; political and military power; and, culture, demographics and resources. This may affect its future stability such as a culture, demographics and resources problem in China is the growing demand for corn to feed its increasing meat consumption as the middle class grows.
As superpowers struggle to grasp dominant power, geopolitical conflicts may occur in future. Currently, many recent tensions between powers are limited by international agreements and alliances. There are always risks that recent tensions between powers can escalate. Examples include: China’s growing list of allies and enemies, the many Middle Eastern tensions; and, the Pakistan Nuclear Arms.
“Regional rivals and rivalries most critical for international stability” relies on “a dynamic, ongoing balancing of power” (1)
Sources
(1) Aharon Klieman in the preface of Great Powers and Geopolitics: International Affairs in a Rebalancing World, 2015.
Lion photo: https://kwsompimpong.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/lion.jpeg
Numbers on table:
GDP per capita: The World Bank; Total Value of Export: OEC World; Active Military Size: World Population Review; Military Spending: Statisa; Population Size: Worldometer
The United States and China
Superpowers of the world are likely to be the countries that you hear about in the news. They pose as geopolitical threats to each other which has trickle-down effects to our everyday lives.
There has been a few in modern history, which includes: United Kingdom, Germany, the Soviet Union led by Russia and the United States.
Not in any order as the list depends on what criteria you use. This list usually includes the countries of: the United States, Brazil, Russia, India, China, the United kingdom, Germany, Singapore, Japan and France.
Flashcards in Superpowers of the World295
Start learning______ is an example of a hegemon:
United States.
Examples of emerging superpowers are
China and India.
Three examples of measures of dominance are
Size of economy, military power, and demography.
Superpowers don't need strong currencies.
False.
What two powerful countries share a language?
United States and India.
'BRIC' stands for:
Brazil, Russia, India and China.
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