superpowers, great powers, emerging powers

definition of superpower

‘great power plus great mobility of power’

who defined the term superpower

william fox in 1944

what must a superpower have

strong military

strong economy

ability to deploy forces worldwide

global financial and trading links

ideology with global appeal

political, structural and soft power

economic superpower strengths of the US

largest economy - GDP of 28 trillion USD

military superpower strengths of the US

48.2% of global nuclear warheads - second largest

US defence spending accounted for nearly 40% of military expenditures in 2024

around $900 million spent on military

over 750 overseas military bases

soft power strengths of the US

reputation - uphold rights, American Dream

popular culture - music, Hollywood, American English

world becoming increasingly ‘westernised’ or ‘americanised’

McWorld - Benjamin Barber

china economic strengths

GDP of 18 trillion - world’s second largest

world’s largest exporter, largest trading nation

• exported 3.4 trillion USD in 2023

china’s stimulus after 2008/09 financial crisis helped global economy recover

world’s largest work force

china economic weakness

unreliable and sustainable development - growth has slowed, debt, low consumer spending

china military strengths

less than 5% of global nuclear warheads - third largest arsenal

$314 billion on military spending - second largest in world

largest military - over 2 million

1 overseas military base

china soft power strengths

confucius institutes

largest diplomatic network

china soft power weaknesses

communist party

xinjiang internment camps - human rights violations

what makes a great power

large population, great military, economic, diplomatic, cultural and structural power

what are the current great powers in the world

china, france, uk, russia

what are the current groups of emerging powers

BRICS and MINT

who coined BRIC in 2001?

Jim O’Neil

Who joined BRIC in 2010?

south africa

who joined BRICS in 2024?

Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UEA

gdp of russia

2.1 trillion USD

russia military

109 million for military spending

5580 nuclear warheads

1 aircraft carrier

20 overseas military base

1.1m armed forces

india gdp

3.9 trillion USD

india military

172 nuclear warheads

2 aircraft carriers

14 foreign military bases

1.5m armed forces

brazil gdp

2.3 trillion USD

brazil military

1 aircraft carrier

366 thousand armed forces

no nuclear warheads, or foreign bases

south africa gdp

400 billion USD

south africa military

0 nuclear warheads, aircraft carriers, foreign bases

65 thousand armed forces

what are the countries in MINT

mexico, indonesia, nigeria, turkey

what are the MINT countries

fast-growing mid-sized economies

mexico gdp

1.79 trillion USD

indonesia gdp

1.37 trllion USD

nigeria gdp

364 billion USD

turkey gdp

1.1 trillion USD