The USA is the only true superpower in the world? Why?

What will I learn? To describe the international influence the USA has To identify the international organisations that the USA is a member of To examine the relationships the US has with other world powers 2

Success Criteria Describe the international influence the USA has Identify the international organisations that the USA is a member of Examine the relationships the US has with other world powers

The International influence of the USA

International Influence of the USA The USA is commonly regarded as being the most powerful country in the world. It is huge geographically, has a large population, a powerful military and a strong economy. This means that the US has significant influence internationally

The compulsory content for this section of the unit is quite limited. This means potential essay questions are also limited.

In the exam… To what extent does a world power you have studied have influence in international relations? 20 marks Analyse the role a world power you have studied has in international relations. 12 marks Evaluate the influence the world power you have studied has in international relations. 12 marks To what extent does a world power you have studied cooperate with other world powers? 20 marks

We will look at… Economic influence of the USA Military influence of the USA US membership of international organisations US Involvement in recent conflicts US relations with other countries

Economic Influence of the USA

Economic Influence GDP – the US has the highest GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in the world This is a measure of economic output. GDP is a measure of the value of all goods and services output by a country. USA’s GDP was $19.3 trillion in 2017 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13200758 - GDP clip

Economic Influence The US has an abundance of natural resources, a well developed infrastructure and high productivity The USA is the 3rd largest producer of oil and the largest natural gas producer It is the second largest trading nation in the world behind China Of the world’s 500 largest companies, 132 are headquartered in the USA The New York Stock Exchange is by far the largest in the world

Economic Influence Many of the world’s biggest companies are American, including: Exxon Mobil, Wal-Mart, Chevron, Ford, General Motors, Hewlett-Packard, Apple, Microsoft etc.

Economic Influence Analysis – The economic might of the USA gives it tremendous influence internationally. The huge wealth generated by the US gives it huge international influence. Many American companies operate globally which again demonstrates the USA’s influence.

Economic Stagnation (lack of growth) However, the global economic influence of the USA is not always POSITIVE in nature. Following the global recession of 2007-08 many countries felt the impact of a financial crisis which was American in the making. US GDP fell by 5.0% from the spring of 2008 to the spring of 2009. Household incomes have stagnated and the number of households living on less than $2 per day before government benefits, doubled from 1996 levels to 1.5 million households in 2011, including 2.8 million children. As of August 2017, the USA owed China $1.2 trillion in debt alone. Total public and private US debt is more than triple it’s GDP at roughly $50 trillion dollars. Couple this with the extremely fast growth of the Chinese economy and many critics have argued that the economic influence of the USA is faltering. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBh6PlC9_1g

Economic Stagnation List of countries by debt:

Economic Stagnation The US is close to losing its status as the world’s largest economy, and may fall behind China within a few years. The US has been the world’s largest economy since overtaking the UK in 1872.

Economic Stagnation Analysis – Arguably the US’s economic influence has weakened as a result of the economic downturn. In addition, it is in danger of being leapfrogged by China as the world’s biggest economy.

TASK Create a table in your notes which why the USA continues to have a great economic influence in the world and which also shows why the USA’s economic influence is waning. CONTINUED ECONOMIC INFLUENCE… ECONOMIC INFLUENCE FAILING…