States and Power

COLONIAL RELATIONSHIP

Mother Country ColonyMANUFACTURED GOODS

RAW MATERIALS

IMPACT OF COLONIALISMWEALTH MOVES TO EUROPE

UNEQUAL ECONOMIC & POLITICAL POWERECONOMIC POWER = POLITICAL/MILITARY POWER

IMPACT OF COLONIALISMWEALTH MOVES TO EUROPE

UNEQUAL ECONOMIC & POLITICAL POWERECONOMIC POWER = POLITICAL/MILITARY POWER

WORLD SYSTEMS THEORYImmanuel Wallerstein

Thesis: • In 1450, nation-states and

capitalism emerged– Countries unified &

competed– Boundaries est. (national

armies/bureaucracies)– Division of labor (specialized

jobs) & efficiency – resources required

(Imperialism)

Purpose: Explain the differences between countries by examining economic history

WORLD SYSTEMS THEORYThe world is divided into 4 parts

In the 15th-16th Century

North-Western Europe

Italy, Portugal, S. Germany

PolandLatin America

RussiaAfrica

CORE SEMI-PERIPHERY

GEOPOLITICS• Thesis: – States are like biological organisms• Have life cycles; require nourishment (more territory)

Will influence Hitler (Lebensraum)

Will influence Hitler (Lebensraum)

Heartland Theory Rimland TheoryControl of Eurasia is the key to world power Control of Eurasian rim the key to world power

Land based power would rule the world Sea based power would rule the world

GLOBAL POWER RELATIONSHIPS

ORGANIZATION OF THE STATE & POWERHow can the geographical organization of a state

influence its power? There is no ideal size or population

Small states can be more powerful that states with larger populations or more land

Switzerland Sudan

Size: 16,000 sq miles Size: 968,000 sq miles

Population: 7.77 million Population: 42.27 million

GDP: $500 Billion GDP: $58 Billion

ORGANIZATION OF THE STATE & POWEROrganizational ability can reflect economic development

Two measures of organization: Core areas & capital cities

Putrajaya – New Capital of Malaysia

Rhineland Germany

CORE AREA: KANTO PLAIN, JAPAN

CORE AREA: GERMANY

MULTI-CORE STATECan cause problems if cores are culturally different

Countries without a core are usually very undeveloped (poor)

Mongolia Congo

FORWARD CAPITALSA capital city chosen to promote national aims and

change

Primate city: Disproportionally larger than other cities in the country(ex. Paris, Mexico City, Bangkok)

Largest Cities in MexicoMexico City 8.84 millionEcatepec de Morelos 1.73 millionTijuana 1.59 millionPuebla 1.59 millionGuadalajara 1.56 million

New York City8.36 million

New York City8.36 million

TYPES OF POLITICAL STRUCTURE

Gerrymandering: redistricting to create a political advantage

Elbridge Gerry1744-1814