SUPERPOWERS EQ1

Question 1

What term describes a nation with global influence derived from economic, military, political, cultural and demographic strengths?

Answer 1

Superpower

Question 2

Which type of power uses military force, threats or sanctions to influence others?

Answer 2

Hard power

Question 3

Which type of power relies on culture, values and diplomacy to attract others?

Answer 3

Soft power

Question 4

What category includes states like China and India whose influence is rapidly growing?

Answer 4

Emerging powers

Question 5

What term describes dominance of a single global superpower?

Answer 5

Unipolar world

Question 6

What global system features two rival superpowers, such as USA–USSR during the Cold War?

Answer 6

Bipolar world

Question 7

What is the term for a complex system where multiple major powers compete for influence?

Answer 7

Multipolar world

Question 8

Which term describes a country’s extended area of economic, political or military influence beyond its borders?

Answer 8

Sphere of influence

Question 9

Which superpower characteristic forms the foundation of global influence through trade and innovation?

Answer 9

Economic strength

Question 10

Which characteristic reflects a state’s ability to influence global rules and IGOs?

Answer 10

Political authority

Question 11

Which characteristic allows a country to project power globally and deter threats?

Answer 11

Military capability

Question 12

Which superpower characteristic spreads values through media, brands and lifestyle?

Answer 12

Cultural influence

Question 13

Which demographic advantage supports economic growth and labour supply?

Answer 13

Large youthful population

Question 14

Which resource-related factor underpins industrial output and geopolitical leverage?

Answer 14

Access to natural resources

Question 15

What term describes a world dominated by the British empire in the 19th century?

Answer 15

British hegemony

Question 16

Which country currently holds the world’s largest economy by nominal GDP?

Answer 16

USA

Question 17

Which country is the world’s second-largest economy and major BRI investor?

Answer 17

China

Question 18

Which initiative expands China’s global economic influence through infrastructure investment?

Answer 18

Belt and Road Initiative

Question 19

Which theory argues countries develop through five stages towards mass consumption?

Answer 19

Modernisation theory

Question 20

Which theory argues core nations keep peripheral nations dependent?

Answer 20

Dependency theory

Question 21

Which theory divides the world into core, semi-periphery and periphery?

Answer 21

World Systems Theory

Question 22

What type of power did Britain rely on during its mercantile and imperial phases?

Answer 22

Military hard power

Question 23

Which company played a key role in beginning British colonial rule in India?

Answer 23

East India Company

Question 24

Which 1757 event marked a turning point in British territorial control in India?

Answer 24

Battle of Plassey

Question 25

What 1857 event revealed limits of British control in India?

Answer 25

Indian Rebellion

Question 26

Who was the communist superpower that existed from 1922 to 1991, made up of 15 republics led by Russia.

Answer 26

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)

Question 27

What term describes wars where superpowers support opposing sides indirectly?

Answer 27

Proxy war

Question 28

Which two countries fought proxy conflicts like Korea and Vietnam?

Answer 28

USA and USSR

Question 29

What form of indirect control replaced colonialism in the post‑1945 era?

Answer 29

Neo-colonialism

Question 30

Which country uses energy exports as geopolitical leverage?

Answer 30

Russia

Question 31

Which mechanism exerts influence through financial institutions and loans?

Answer 31

Debt dependency

Question 32

Which neo-colonial mechanism involves reliance on foreign companies for extraction?

Answer 32

TNC influence

Question 33

Which US initiative provided aid to Europe after WWII to limit communism?

Answer 33

Marshall Plan

Question 34

Which Soviet economic organisation coordinated trade among communist states?

Answer 34

COMECON

Question 35

Which power collapse in 1991 created a unipolar world?

Answer 35

USSR

Question 36

Which nation became the global hegemon following the Cold War?

Answer 36

USA

Question 37

Which global forum represents historically dominant economies?

Answer 37

G7

Question 38

Which wider forum includes major economies including emerging powers?

Answer 38

G20

Question 39

What grouping includes major emerging states like Brazil, Russia, India and China?

Answer 39

BRICS

Question 40

What describes the political tool of manipulating information or disinformation?

Answer 40

Sharp power

Question 41

Which US cultural exports strengthen its global soft power?

Answer 41

Hollywood

Question 42

Which country has expanded soft power through K-pop and media?

Answer 42

South Korea

Question 43

What demographic challenge threatens China’s long‑term power?

Answer 43

Ageing population

Question 44

What internal factor may limit China’s innovation capacity?

Answer 44

Human capital gap

Question 45

What term describes the hidden inequalities in China’s rural education and health?

Answer 45

Invisible China

Question 46

Which factor is essential for transitioning to a high‑tech economy?

Answer 46

Human capital

Question 47

Which emerging country has the world’s largest population?

Answer 47

India

Question 48

Which emerging power has strong agricultural exports particularly soya beans, sugar cane and coffee.

Answer 48

Brazil

Question 49

Which emerging power relies heavily on hydrocarbons and faces sanctions?

Answer 49

Russia

Question 50

Which African regional power has rapid population growth and cultural influence?

Answer 50

Nigeria

Question 51

Which country has strategic location between Europe and the Middle East?

Answer 51

Türkiye

Question 52

Which theory best explains the rise of semi-peripheral states like China?

Answer 52

World Systems Theory

Question 53

What type of world is increasingly likely in the 21st century due to rising powers?

Answer 53

Multipolar world

Question 54

Which characteristic most directly funds military and technological development?

Answer 54

Economic strength

Question 55

Which type of power is increasingly important due to globalisation and culture flows?

Answer 55

Soft power

Question 56

What mechanism allows the USA to maintain global influence through bases?

Answer 56

Military reach

Question 57

What mechanism allows China to exert influence without military force?

Answer 57

Investment leverage

Question 58

What major Chinese firms have led to China's 2nd position on the Global Soft Power Index?

Answer 58

BYD, Huawei and TikTok

Question 59

Which country has attempted to hijack elections and attack digital infrastructure? (what type of power is this?)

Answer 59

Russia (sharp power)

Question 60

How has the use of hard and soft power changed over time?

Answer 60

Rise of soft power due to shrinking world

Question 61

How have the Olympics been used as a form of soft power?

Answer 61

Display national culture, improve image, attract tourism

Question 62

How much does the USA spend on military? What percentage is this of global spending?

Answer 62

$877 billion, 39% of global military spending

Question 63

The rise of which countries led to a multipolar world in the early 20th century?

Answer 63

Germany, USA and Japan

Question 64

These factors contributed towards what? Economic stagnation, unsustainable debt, declining productivity, political unrest.

Answer 64

The collapse of the USSR in 1991

Question 65

How has China's contribution to the global economy changed since 2000?

Answer 65

From 4% of global GDP to 17% in 2024.

Question 66

A property value bubble burst, high interest rates, competition from neighbours and a rapidly ageing population led to which emerging power stagnating in 90s?

Answer 66

Japan

Question 67

Why was Japan predicted to be one of the next world superpowers in 1980?

Answer 67

Higher GDP per capita than USA and world leader of electronics exports

Question 68

Who overtook USA as the world's top merchandise trading partner in 2013?

Answer 68

China, top with over 60% of the world.