The big idea: Power is the ability of a state or organisation to shape the behaviour of others and to influence events beyond its own borders.
Sovereignty is a state's right to govern itself — to control its territory, its laws and the flows of people, money, goods and data that cross its borders. The central debate of this topic is whether global interactions (trade, migration, the internet, climate change) are eroding that sovereignty, or whether states are still firmly in charge.
A small group of superpowers and emerging powers hold a disproportionate share of global power. Understanding how they hold it — and whether anyone has lost their grip on global flows — is what Paper 3 asks you to argue.
Key terms you must be able to use
- Superpower — a state with global reach across economic, military, political and cultural power (e.g. the United States; China is now widely described as one).
- Hegemony — leadership or dominance by one power that others largely accept, so it can set the rules of the system (think of the US-led order after 1945).
- Hard power — getting your way by force or money: military strength, sanctions, trade leverage.
- Soft power — getting your way by attraction: culture, values, education, media and brands that make others want what you want.
- Sovereignty — a state's supreme authority over its own territory and the flows crossing its borders.
- IGO (inter-governmental organisation) — a body of member states, such as the United Nations or the World Trade Organization.
- MGO (multi-governmental organisation) — a grouping of governments that pools some decision-making, such as the European Union or the G7.
- Global flows — the cross-border movements of trade, finance, people, data, ideas and culture that bind the world together.
| Form of power | What it looks like | Worked example (in own words) |
|---|---|---|
| Economic | Size of the economy, currency, trade and investment leverage | The US dollar is used for most world trade, so US financial sanctions reach far beyond US borders |
| Military (hard) | Armed forces, weapons, overseas bases, alliances | A global network of overseas bases and aircraft carriers lets one state project force across oceans |
| Political | Votes and influence inside IGOs/MGOs; treaty-making | A permanent UN Security Council seat with a veto gives a handful of states a decisive say |
| Cultural (soft) | Language, media, universities, brands, sport, values | A film and streaming industry watched worldwide spreads one country's language, products and outlook |
Hard vs soft — the quick test: If a state changes another's behaviour by coercion or payment (armies, sanctions, money), that is hard power. If it does so by attraction (people admire its culture, study at its universities, buy its brands), that is soft power. Most real powers blend the two — sometimes called smart power.
How this is tested — the [12] Analyse strand: A common 12-mark structured question asks you to Analyse the ways superpowers keep their dominance — across economic strength, hard and soft power, control of energy, and mastery of new technology.
This is the developed-factors part: you do not need a For/Against debate here. Instead, take three or four distinct mechanisms and develop each one with a named example, then add a short synthesis showing how they reinforce one another.
The mechanisms superpowers use to stay on top
- Economic strength — a large economy, a global reserve currency and deep capital markets let a power set trade rules, lend to others and use sanctions as a weapon.
- Hard power — armed forces, overseas bases and alliances deter rivals and let a power act militarily far from home.
- Soft power — language, universities, media, brands and values draw talent and goodwill, making leadership feel natural rather than imposed.
- Control of energy and resources — securing oil, gas, critical minerals and the routes that carry them gives leverage over states that depend on those flows.
- Mastery of new technology — leading in semiconductors, the internet, satellites, AI and green tech sets the standards others must follow and underpins both wealth and military edge.
IB-style questionAnalyse[12 marks]
Analyse the ways in which superpowers maintain their global power and influence.
Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
| Power | Greatest strengths | Relative weaknesses |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Reserve-currency economy, the largest military and global bases, dominant media and universities (huge soft power) | Rising public debt; political divisions; growing rivalry from China |
| China | Vast manufacturing economy, fast-growing military, the Belt and Road investment network, lead in 5G and rare-earth processing | Weaker soft power and fewer alliances; reliance on imported energy and high-end chips |
| European Union (MGO) | World's largest single market, rule-setting 'regulatory power', strong development aid and diplomacy | No single army or foreign policy; slow consensus-based decisions; energy import dependence |
Develop, don't list: A [12] Analyse rewards developed mechanisms, not a long list. For each one: name it, explain how it works, and pin it to a named example (the dollar, NATO, the Belt and Road, 5G). Then add a sentence of synthesis — how the mechanisms feed each other — to reach the top band.
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The debate in one line: Globalisation has unleashed flows — of money, goods, data, people and ideas — that increasingly slip past national borders. The question is whether this means states have lost sovereignty, or whether governments are reasserting control in new ways.
The strongest answers do not pick a side blindly: they weigh the forces escaping state control against the ways states are pushing back, and then judge the net balance.
Forces that escape state control
- Transnational corporations (TNCs) — the largest firms have revenues bigger than many national economies and can move production, profits and jobs across borders faster than any government can react.
- Shrinking-world technology — the internet, satellites and undersea cables move data and money instantly, so capital and ideas cross borders before a state can intervene.
- Tax avoidance — firms route profits through low-tax jurisdictions, draining the revenue governments need and exposing the limits of national tax law.
- Global civil society — campaigning NGOs and online movements (climate strikes, human-rights networks) mobilise across borders and pressure governments from the outside.
- Hacking and cyber-attacks — criminals and even other states can reach inside a country's banks, power grids and elections from anywhere on Earth.
Ways states reassert their sovereignty
- Cybersecurity and data laws — national firewalls, data-localisation rules and cyber agencies let states police the digital flows crossing their borders.
- Border technology — biometric e-passports, facial recognition and smart borders give governments far tighter control over who enters and leaves.
- Populism and renewed nationalism — leaders elected on 'take back control' platforms reassert borders, tariffs and immigration limits against globalising pressures.
- Re-shoring and resource nationalism — bringing factories and critical supply chains home (chips, medicines, energy) reduces dependence on global flows a government cannot control.
Real cases both ways: Escaping control: a single search-and-advertising firm can shape what billions of people read, while profits booked in low-tax hubs slip past national treasuries.
Reasserting control: several governments now require citizens' data to be stored inside the country, screen foreign takeovers of strategic firms, and have moved to bring semiconductor manufacturing home after pandemic supply shocks. Sovereignty is being renegotiated, not simply lost.
IB-style questionDiscuss[12 marks]
Discuss the view that states can no longer control the flows of money, data and people that cross their borders.
Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
How this is tested — the [16] essay: Paper 3 ends each question with a 16-mark markband essay using an evaluative command — most often To what extent, Evaluate or Discuss.
The headline version for this micro asks how far national governments and multi-governmental organisations (MGOs) have lost their grip on global flows.
Top band needs: a structured argument, named contemporary case studies (TNCs, treaties, blocs, named countries), a genuine counter-argument, and an explicit judgement. Synoptic links to Unit 5 (development, culture) and Unit 6 (risks) are rewarded — global flows do not only shift power, they reshape development and create new risks.
IB-style questionTo what extent[16 marks]
To what extent have national governments and multi-governmental organisations lost their grip on global flows?
Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
What lifts a [16] into the top band: Three things separate a band-3 essay from a band-4 essay:
Named, current case studies on both sides (not just 'TNCs are powerful' but a specific firm, treaty or country).
A genuine counter-argument that you take seriously, not a token sentence.
A judgement that is nuanced — 'to a limited and uneven extent', distinguishing types of flow and strong vs weak states — rather than a flat yes/no.