Unit 3: Paper 2 — Development and Sustainability
Topic 3.1: Contested meanings: development, sustainability, poverty, inequality Questions
Practice 20 exam-style questions for IB Global Politics Topic 3.1. Review the question stems below, then unlock the full Question Bank to access markschemes, model answers, and AI grading.
1Discuss15 marks
2026• Aimnova original Paper 2 essay practice (Section A) — 3.1.2
"Sustainability is only about protecting the environment." Discuss this view.
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2026• Aimnova original Paper 2 essay practice (Section A) — 3.1.3
"Only absolute poverty is real poverty." Discuss this view.
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2026• Aimnova original Paper 2 essay practice (Section A) — 3.1.4
"Development always results in inequalities." Discuss this view.
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2026• Aimnova original Paper 2 essay practice (Section A) — 3.1.1
"Definitions of development that stress basic needs should be replaced by definitions that focus on well-being." Discuss this view.
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2026• Aimnova original Paper 2 essay practice (Section A) — 3.1.1
"Developing society is more important than developing the economy." Examine this view.
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2026• Aimnova original Paper 2 essay practice (Section A) — 3.1.4
Evaluate the claim that inequality encourages, rather than prevents, development.
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2026• Aimnova original Paper 2 essay practice (Section A) — 3.1.3
Evaluate the claim that economic growth is the best way to reduce poverty.
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2026• Aimnova original Paper 2 essay practice (Section A) — 3.1.2
Evaluate the claim that the challenges of sustainability mean that development may no longer be possible.
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2026• Aimnova original Paper 2 essay practice (Section A) — 3.1.4
Examine the view that reducing inequality matters more than increasing growth for development.
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2026• Aimnova original Paper 2 essay practice (Section A) — 3.1.2
Examine the view that environmental factors must be prioritized for development to occur.
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2026• Aimnova original Paper 2 essay practice (Section A) — 3.1.1
Evaluate the claim that development means more than economic growth.
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2026• Aimnova original Paper 2 essay practice (Section A) — 3.1.3
"Poverty is best understood as a lack of opportunities, not a lack of income." Discuss this view.
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2026• Aimnova original Paper 2 essay practice (Section B) — 3.1.2
Examine the view that pursuing sustainability harms the world's poorest. (integrating: development & sustainability + rights & justice + power)
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2026• Aimnova original Paper 2 essay practice (Section B) — 3.1.1
Examine the view that development offers the greatest challenge to state sovereignty. (integrating: development & sustainability + the core concept of sovereignty)
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2026• Aimnova original Paper 2 essay practice (Section B) — 3.1.1
Discuss the view that development is only possible if basic human rights are respected. (integrating: development & sustainability + rights & justice)
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2026• Aimnova original Paper 2 essay practice (Section B) — 3.1.2
Discuss the view that sustainability cannot be achieved without global cooperation. (integrating: development & sustainability + the core concept of interdependence)
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2026• Aimnova original Paper 2 essay practice (Section B) — 3.1.3
Discuss the view that poverty is a major cause of conflict. (integrating: development & sustainability + peace & conflict)
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2026• Aimnova original Paper 2 essay practice (Section B) — 3.1.4
Discuss the view that inequality is a greater threat to peace than poverty. (integrating: development & sustainability + peace & conflict)
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2026• Aimnova original Paper 2 essay practice (Section B) — 3.1.4
Examine the view that global inequality is mainly the result of unequal power between states. (integrating: development & sustainability + the core concept of power)
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2026• Aimnova original Paper 2 essay practice (Section B) — 3.1.3
Examine the view that poverty is mainly a violation of human rights rather than an economic problem. (integrating: development & sustainability + rights & justice)
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