Power and Developments Flashcards

Question

Different systems of government: | - Democratic features

Answer 1

Democratic - Free, fair and frequent elections - Rule of law - Accountability - Effective scrutiny --> UK

Answer 2

Semi-Democratic states - Elections, though not as free, fair and frequent - A degree of repression of liberties e.g. freedom of speech, assembly --> Russia

Answer 3

Autocratic states - Very limited meaningful popular participation - Few checks on power - Very limited protection of human rights --> China

Answer 4

The democratic peace theory according to Immanuel Kant is that democracies are more peaceful than non-democracies. This is because checks and balances hold the government to account, war mongering leaders are likely to be ousted. There is a market place for ideas, open debates and discussions which leads to open scrutiny. Democracies also tend to be wealthier and war is costly, so they would want to avert this.

Answer 5

A state that is perceived to be a threat to stability. North Korea, Iran and Syria

Answer 6

- An aggressive foreign policy - Willingness to violate international law - Unauthorised holding of nuclear weapons - Support for terrorist groups - Abuse of human rights - Almost always authoritarian

Answer 7

- Who has the right to apply it? - A pretext to justify US foreign policy? - Inconsistent applications? --> Some argue that the term is used to justify intervention in that state by another state often in pursuit of their own self-interest E.g. some argue that the USAs identifying of Iraq as a Rogue state was a cover for the USAs self-interest in gaining access to Iraqi oil reserves and a key power base in the Middle East

Answer 8

Colossal destruction capability --> Collateral damage Act of a deterrent --> Built never to be used? Not “normal” --> Raise moral questions?

Answer 9

USA, Russia, China, UK, France

Answer 10

India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel

Answer 11

A state whose political or economic system has become so weak that the government is no longer in control. e.g. Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen and the Central African Republic.

Answer 12

There is no agreed upon definition and one may argue this term is used arbitrary manner/ applied inconsistently.

Answer 13

- They are often poor and underdeveloped - Weak political institutions - Whether the citizens look upon the government as legitimate - They are predominately in Africa and the middle east

Answer 14

- They can become safe havens for terrorist groups - States might descend into violent civil war - The state may collapse, and its weapons might fall into the hands of terrorist groups (e.g. Pakistan has nuclear weapons) - They can trigger refugee crises and humanitarian interventions.

Answer 15

On January 23 Juan Guido declared himself acting president because the actual president Nicolas Maduro is said to be illegitimate. Maduro imprisoned many of his opponents before the election in May meaning that he was elected president for a second term. Guido argued that under the Venezuelan constitution the head of the National Assembly (Guido) take over as president, in such cases. President Trump recognised Guido as the interim president of Venezuela

Answer 16

By the end of 2018, prices were doubling every 19 days on average, leaving many Venezuelans struggling to afford basic items. The annual inflation rate reached 1,300,000% in the 12 months to November 2018 and the IMF forecast for 2019 is 10million%. Many people are leaving Venezuela with the UN estimating that three million Venezuelans have left the country since 2014.

Answer 17

Venezuela does not currently have one effective government as there is a power dispute. The government they do have cannot provide basic services to its citizens. There is a mass exodus from Venezuela, suggesting that people do not want to be there anymore. This can lead to resentment from other states due to the influx of migrants which means more competition for jobs. Combination of both an oppressive and weak government

Answer 18

The response to acts of terrorism has been military force. --> e.g. airstrikes on ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Economic globalisation makes state war too costly so states compete through trade rather than war. --> For example, China has committed $74bn in aid since 2000 to strengthen its grip of Africa's natural resources. Realists see the world in terms of sovereign states aiming to guarantee their own survival, with military force as their ultimate instrument. --> e.g. Trumps policy of "peace through strength" calling for an extra $54bn for tanks, ships and weapons systems in his first budget.

Answer 19

The use of military power has damaged the credibility and international standing of states that employ it. --> e.g. the collapse of the USA's international reputation after Afghanistan and Iraq which led to a policy shift under Obama. Military conflict by stronger states against states with less capabilities have proved difficult to win due to the strategies of guerilla warfare and terrorism --> E.g. the issues faced by the USA in Iraq and Afghanistan Economic sanctions only work on smaller countries seeking access to the global economy. --> e.g. Sanctions on North Korea have impacted their population but not their foreign policy/ pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Answer 20

In a world of complex interdependence, goals are better achieved through cooperation, not conflict. The free flow of information and communication across borders means people are increasingly informed about foreign cultures and values, which they can compare against their own. The spread of democracy. education standards and literacy increases the tendency, especially as democracies operate on the soft power of consensus and persuasion.

Answer 21

Hard power is able to undermine soft power. e.g. The US was in Iraq undermined US soft power and increased anti-American sentiment. It alienated moderate Muslim opinion and has been linked to the spread of terrorism. Soft power has been challenged as some goals can arguably only be achieved through hard power. e.g. stopping North Korea from developing Nuclear Weapons Terrorists are unlikely to be persuaded via soft power. Soft power is difficult to use as it can only promote not control popular culture.

Answer 22

Smart power is a combination of both soft and hard power and choosing the right tools for each specific situation. E.g. Obama used smart power --> In the case of Iran his administration used damaging economic sanctions, diplomacy and direct attempts from Obama to reach out to the Iranian public to bring about the Iran Nuclear Deal, which restricted Irans Nuclear programme.

Answer 23

Emerging powers refer to states that are emerging as powerful modern economies. These states are becoming more economically important within the global market and are starting to be more assertive in the institutions of global governance.

Answer 24

the BRICS countries are an example of emerging powers. ``` They are: Brazil Russia India China South Africa ``` together these countries represent 46% of the planet's population and account for 19.8% of global GDP and 16.9% of global trade.

Answer 25

Polarity describes the number of significant states within the international system, and how this impacts on the behaviour of other states.

Answer 26

Unipolarity refers to a global distribution of power in which there is just one dominant power. No other power can match its global influence and so that power can be referred to as the ‘global hegemon’. e.g. the USA following the collapse of the USSR

Answer 27

An international system where there are three or more poles | e.g. this existed before WW2

Answer 28

According to the hegemonic stability theory imbalanced power can produce peace as one side has so much power that no one dare attack it. The global hegemon can the act as the enforcer, protecting the political framework that supports the global market, prevents wars and humanitarian crises in the interest of all states, but most importantly themselves.

Answer 29

In the 1990s, the United States’ unparalleled economic, military and diplomatic outreach, together with the popularity of its culture, established the conditions for American hegemony.

Answer 30

Critics of unipolarity suggest that potential hegemons are constantly striving for more power as they are "power maximisers". The situation is at its most dangerous when it appears that the influence of the global hegemon/superpower is declining. This creates the potential for conflict as the superpower seeks to retain its influence in response to increasingly powerful challenges from its rivals. When have we seen this? During WW1 it can be said that Germany felt it could challenge Britains global influence. Today, one of the greatest threats to global stability comes from Chinese and Russian attempts to test the limits of the United States’ power.

Answer 31

Military power - The USA has a global military outreach - It has the technological edge - It accounts for about 1/3 of the world total military spending. Structural power - The USA plays the biggest role in most international organisations from the UNSC, IMF, World Bank and G7 Economic power - The USA is the worlds largest economy and has established the dominant global economic model of neo-liberal economics. Soft power - The culture, ideology and institutions of the USA are attractive to states and people across the globe

Answer 32

Military power - Hard power is weakening as terrorism and guerilla tactics in Afghanistan and Iraq showed the limits of the USA's advanced military power. Structural power - The rise of the BRICS has challenged the USA's structural power. - The USA's role as enforcer of the international framework is declining as it increasingly focuses on national interests e. g --> withdrawal of ICC, Paris Climate Agreement and Free trade deals. Economic power - China is due to overtake the USA as the worlds leading economy during the 2020s. - The dominance of the USA's neo-liberal economic model has been called into question by the 2008 financial crash. - China has launched the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank as a rival to the US-dominated World Bank as it seeks to replace the dollar with the yuan as the global currency. Soft power - The growing view is that soft power is increasing in significance, however, the USA's decision to invade Iraq without a UNSC resolution and the tactics used has weakened its soft power.

Answer 33

Yes, we are due to the changing nature of great power politics: --> The decline of the USA since the start of the 21st century. - -> The rise of the BRICS - -> e.g. the rapid economic growth of India, ------> Russias emergence as an energy power as it is able to control eastern Europe through gas and oil and its nuclear weapons - -> Chinas rapid economic growth and emerging military power. Yes, we are due to broader developments which have changed the nature of global power and challenged traditional polarity models. - Globalisation has led to more complex interdependence meaning states are more concentrated on economic growth rather than war, so cooperation and soft power is starting to play a more important role than conflict and hard power. - Growing levels of global governance further show that cooperation, not conflict is increasing in significance. - The rise of non-state actors such as NGOs, TNCs and terrorist groups show a shift in the centre of power in global politics.

Answer 34

Neo-realists see the emergence of multipolar world order as dangerous as it creates instability and conflict 1. The USA is a potential hegemon with a clear advantage over other great powers meaning it has a greater chance of winning wars, it is, therefore, likely to start conflict in order to increase its power and security. (The USA has engaged in 6 conflicts since 1991 with weaker powers) This sparks fears in other states who will then also follow risky policies to increase their security. e.g. Russias annexation of Crimea. 2. The rise of China as a potential hegemon. China will seek to grow its power in Asia which will create fear in other great powers in the area such as Japan, India and Russia who in turn will seek to grow their power. The declining hegemon (USA) will try to prevent Chinas rise to protect its own security, probably by creating an alliance like NATO in the region. --> This will lead to a security competition between the two sides and increase instability.

Answer 35

Liberals believe that multipolar worlds lean towards multilateralism. --> e.g. Obama was only willing to take multilateral action in Libya with the full support of the UN. This is because power is more evenly distributed in multipolar worlds which encourages peace, stability, cooperation and integration, rather than the instability caused by a bipolar world.

Answer 36

Liberal economies have spread due to decolonisation, the collapse of the USSR and the Washington consensus used in global governance. How have they developed: - They have developed over the neo-liberal lines. --> States have become even more closely linked together in the global market with decisions in one location having an impact across the globe. --> This led states to be more interested in trade than war, and favouring cooperation e.g. G20 or even integration e.g. the EU

Answer 37

1. The development of international governance especially the UN has established a rules-based international system that has collective security and the respect for international law at its core. 2. The rule of law is a central feature of liberal democracies as it ensures that people and institutions are subject and accountable to the law. It, therefore, acts as a key protector of rights and liberties and as democracy has spread so has the rule of law.

Answer 38

Democracy has spread across the globe as economic globalisation creates the desire for political freedom and also due to the collapse of the communist model. The USA has controversially looked to spread democracy via military interventions e.g. Iraq and Afghanistan. The failure to build effective democracies within these states reflects the difficulty in imposing democracy through the use of force.

Answer 39

The intervention in Libya authorised by a UNSC resolution demonstrates the will to protect civilians.

Answer 40

The infringement within states such as Myanmar where the military has acted outside of the rule of law in the treatment of the Rohingya Muslims.

Answer 41

Background: - Under Saddam Hussein, Iraq was an autocratic state. - The USA labelled it a rogue state and accused it of building up weapons of mass destruction. - The UK and USA sought a resolution to invade Iraq but it was opposed by France and Russia. War: - The USA launched a unilateral war on Iraq without a UNSC resolution making the legality of the war questionable. The USA justified its intervention by stating Iraq was hoarding weapons of mass destruction and also by saying they were spreading democratic values. --> However critics saw it as a form of neo-colonialism to gain economic advantages via control over oil. Consequences - The war was quickly won showing the USA's hard power. - -> However, its soft power was undermined due to the questionable legality of the war. - Since the victory, the USA's hard power has also been questioned due to the difficulty in maintaining peace in the area due to guerrilla tactics and terrorist threats. - Iraq is likely to become a failed state as the internal conflict has been growing between the Sunni and Shia Muslims.

Power and Developments Flashcards

(65 cards)