Important Questions: US Hegemony in World Politics | Political Science Class 12 - Humanities/Arts PDF Download

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Q1: The UN along with many other countries of the world refused to give their mandate to ‘Operation Iraqi Freedom’? Elucidate their stand.
Ans:

• No traces of weapons of Mass destruction were found during the war.
• U.S. main aim was to control Iraqi oil fields.

Q2: Write the four forms of power that reflect the U.S. hegemony.
Ans:

• Hard power
• Structural power
• Soft power
• Cultural power.

Q3: When did the era of U.S. hegemony start?
Ans: The U.S. hegemony began in 1991 after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.

Q4: Name the first business school which was established in the U.S.A. in 1881.
Ans: The first business school’s name was ‘Wharton School’.

Q5: What was the main objective of ‘Operation Desert Storm’?
Ans: On 2nd August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. The United Nations mandated the liberation of Kuwait by force. This was called Operation Desert Strom.

Q6: What is meant by Hegemony?
Ans: Hegemony implies class ascendancy in the social, political, and particularly ideological spheres. Hard power hegemony relates to the supremacy of military power.

Q7: Highlight any one main feature of the U.S. economy.
Ans: The U.S. economy is based on a capitalist system.

Q8: What was the significance of operation Iraqi freedom’?
Ans: American Hegemony had been established after the operation Iraqi freedom.

Short Answer Type Questions

Q9: Explain any two strategies to overcome hegemony.
Ans: These are the two strategies to overcome hegemony :

• Bandwagon Strategy. ‘Bandwagon Strategy’ means to take advantage of the opportunity that hegemony creates. Under the ‘Bandwagon Strategy, it is not wise to oppose hegemony power. It is good to extract benefits by operating within the hegemonic system.
• The policy of hiding. Another strategy open to states is to ‘hide’. This implies staying as far removed from the dominant power as possible.

Q10: Describe any four features of the U.S. hegemony as hard power.
Ans:

• Through its military capabilities, the U.S.A. can reach any point of the world.
• The U.S.A spends more on its military than the next 12 power combined.
• The U.S.A spends a large chunk of the military Budget on military research and development.
• the U.S.A. destroys the enemy country while its own forces are sheltered to the maximum extent possible from the dangers of war.

Q11: Describe any four features of the U.S. hegemony as soft power.
Ans:

• American cultural value is very attractive.
• American culture is the most powerful in the world.
• The American cultural power based on the ability to persuade rather than coerce.
• American blue jeans came to represent the aspirations of a good life.

Q12: Explain any two Constraints on the American hegemony.
Ans: The U.S. hegemony means that the U.S.A. is the sole superpower. The U.S.A. dominates the world in military, political, economic as well as the cultural field. Constraints on U.S. Hegemony: History tells us that empires decline because they decay from within. Similarly, the biggest constraint to American hegemony is from within. Broadly, the following are two constraints on American power

• The first constraint is the institutional architecture of the American state itself. The American system is based on the division of powers between the three organs of the government, i.e., Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary. These organs put many restrictions on military powers.
• The second constraint on American power is the open nature of American society and political culture.

Q13: Examine any three factors responsible for the U.S. Hegemony in world politics.
Ans: In world politics, the U.S.A. has the position of hegemony. Following factors are responsible for the U.S. hegemony in world politics.

• After the end of the Cold War, there was no serious rival to the United States.
• Mikhail Gorbachev, General Secretary of the Communist Party, introduced political and economic reforms in the political and economic system of the Soviet Union. These reforms are also responsible for the U.S. hegemony in world politics.
• The sudden collapse of the Soviet Union is mainly responsible for the hegemony of U.S.A. After the disintegration of U.S.S.R., one superpower ceased to exist. On the other hand, the powers of another superpower (U.S.) enhanced. Thus, the U.S. hegemony began in 1991 after the Soviet Union disappeared from the international scene.

Long Answer Types Questions

Q14: “The bedrock of contemporary U.S. power lies in the overwhelming superiority of its military power.” Justify the statement with any three suitable arguments.
Ans: In international politics, countries and group of countries are constantly trying to capture and retain power. Power can be in the form of military domination, economic power and cultural dominance. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, U.S.A. dominated world politics. When there is only one centre of power in the international system, it is called hegemony. The meaning of hegemony as a hard power relates to the relations, pattern and balance of military capability between states. The nation of hegemony as military domination is relevant to the current position and role of the U.S. in world politics.
The bedrock of contemporary U-S. the power lies in the overwhelming superiority of its military power. American military dominance today is both absolute and relative.

• In absolute terms, the U.S. today has military capabilities that can reach any point on the prevalent accurately, lethally and in no time, thereby crippling the opposite while its own forces are sheltered to the maximum extent possible from the dangers of war.
• Moreover, America spends more on its military capability than the next 12 powers combined. A large part of the budget is spent on technology.
• In fact, U.S. dominance is not just based as higher military spending, but in a qualitative gap, a technological chasm that no other power can at present conceivably span.

Q15: Evaluate India’s changing relationship with the U.S.A.
Ans: India's relationship with the United States has evolved significantly over the years, marked by phases of cooperation, challenges, and mutual interests. Several key aspects characterize this changing relationship:

Strategic Partnership

• In recent years, India and the United States have forged a strategic partnership based on shared democratic values, economic interests, and mutual security concerns. The signing of the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement in 2008 was a significant milestone, indicating a deepening of ties and a move toward greater cooperation in the nuclear energy sector.

Defense and Security Cooperation:

• Defense Procurement: India has increasingly looked to the U.S. as a major supplier of defense equipment, including advanced military hardware. The U.S. has become one of India's top defense partners, with multiple defense deals and collaborations.
• Counterterrorism Cooperation: Both countries have been cooperating closely on counterterrorism efforts, sharing intelligence and collaborating in the fight against global terrorism.

Economic Collaboration:

• Trade and Investment: Economic ties between India and the U.S. have grown significantly, although issues such as trade imbalances and market access barriers have been points of contention. Both countries have aimed to enhance trade relations and remove trade barriers to foster economic growth.
• Technology and Innovation: India and the U.S. have collaborated in various fields, including technology, innovation, and research. Partnerships between Indian and American universities, as well as collaborations between technology companies, have contributed to mutual growth in these sectors.

Diplomatic and Multilateral Cooperation:

• United Nations and Global Governance: India and the U.S. have cooperated on various global issues at international forums such as the United Nations. Both countries have often shared common perspectives on matters of global significance, including climate change, sustainable development, and peacekeeping efforts.
• Quad Alliance: India, along with the U.S., Japan, and Australia, is a part of the Quad, a strategic forum aimed at ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific. This alliance has been seen as a response to China's rising influence in the region.

Challenges and Divergences:

• Trade Disputes: Trade-related issues, including tariffs and market access, have been points of contention, leading to occasional trade disputes between the two countries.
• Iran and Russia: India's historical ties with Iran and Russia have sometimes led to differences with the U.S., especially concerning matters such as energy cooperation and defense procurement.

People-to-People Ties and Cultural Exchange:

• Educational and Cultural Exchanges: There has been an increase in educational and cultural exchanges between India and the U.S., with a significant number of Indian students studying in American universities. These exchanges have strengthened people-to-people ties and cultural understanding.

Q16: Analyse the three major different views within India about the type of relationship India should have with the United States of America.
Ans: It is very difficult to decide exactly what type of relationship India should have with the US. The debate rotates around the three possible strategies:

• One group of Indian analysts opine that Indian should maintain its aloofness from Washington and focuses upon increasing its own national power.
• Second thought of opinion advocate a strategy that India should take advantage of US hegemony and the mutual convergences to establish best relations. Opposing the US is a futile strategy and will only hurt India.
• The Third group of analysis advocate that India should take the lead of developing nations and after some times this coalition would become more powerful and may succeed in weaning the hegemon away through its dominating style. Thus, India needs an appropriate foreign policy to deal with the US.

Q17: Describe any three operations (Military actions) launched by the US which provided and established its supremacy as a hard power.
Ans:

• 1st Gulf War: On 2nd August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, Immediately a meeting of Security Council was held. U.N. Security Council condemned the invasion and demanded the withdrawal of Iraqi troops. The United Nations mandated the liberation of Kuwait by force. A massive coalition force of 660,000 troops from 34 countries fought against Iraq and defeated it. The U.N. operation was called ‘Operation Desert Strom.’ It is also known as the First Gulf War.
• Incident of 9/11: On 11 September 2001 terrorists attacked World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington. Nineteen hijackers took control of four American commercial aircraft shortly after take-off and few them into the important building of U.S. In response to that incident U.S.A. launched ‘Operation Enduring Freedom’ and attacked Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.3. Second Gulf War: Another operation launched by the U.S. which proved and established its supremacy as a hard power was second Gulf War on 19 March 2003 the U.S. launched its invasion of Iraq under the code name of operation Iraqi freedom.

Q18: Examine the U.S. hegemony as a structural power.
Ans: With the sudden collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, one superpower ceased to exist. While another superpower, i.e., the U.S. enhanced its position. Thus, the U.S. hegemony began in 1991 after the Soviet Union disappeared from the international scene.

The hegemony of the U.S. as a structural power:

• The basic idea of the U.S. hegemony as structural power is that an open world economy requires a hegemon or dominant power to support its creation and existence.
• The hegemon must possess both the ability and the desire to establish certain norms to sustain a global structure.
• The hegemon usually does this for its own advantage. It takes advantage of the openness of the world economy without paying the cost of maintaining its openers.
• Thus, hegemony in this second sense as economic superiority is reflected by the roles played by the U.S. in providing global public goods.
• The U.S. hegemony prevails in all parts of the world, almost in all sectors in the world economy and in all areas of technology.

Q19: Analyse the political impact of j H hegemony of the U.S. on the world.
Ans: The following are the political impact of the hegemony of the U.S. on the world:

• On 2nd August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. Immediately a meeting of Security Council was held. U.N. Security Council condemned the invasion and demanded the withdrawal of Iraqi troops. The United Nations mandated the liberation of Kuwait by force. A massive coalition force of 660,000 troops from 34 countries fought against Iraq and defeated it. The U.N. operation was called ‘Operation Desert Storm.’ It is also known as the First Gulf War.
• In 1998, there was a bombing at the U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania by Al-Qaeda, a terrorist organisation. President Clinton ordered ‘Operation Infinite Reach’ in which Al-Qaeda terrorist targets in Sudan and Afghanistan were attacked. America did not bother about the U.N. sanction in this regard
• USA dominating the International organisation like U.N.O., LM.F. and World Bank. On this basis, it influences the political and economic matters of other countries.

Q20: “Resistance is the only option available to overcome the U.S. hegemony”. Justify the statement by comparing it to other anti hegemony strategies.
Ans: It is true that resistance is the only option available to overcome the hegemony of U.S.A. other two hegemony strategies are known as “Bandwagon and Hide.”In world politics. the U.S.A. has the position of the hegemon. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, no other country is in a position to challenge America’s authority and military power. Big and resourceful states like China, Russia, India and the European Union are not in a position to challenge U.S. hegemony and these countries are not unduly antagonising the U.S.A.
It is unrealistic to expect much smaller states to offer any resistance to the U.S. But it is possible that the resistance may come from a combination of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), social movement and public opinion. Resistance can also start by intellectuals writers, artists and mass media. Due to globalisation, the whole world has become a ‘global village’. Thus, we are all neighbours of the village headman.
If the behaviour of the headman becomes intolerable then we have no other alternative except to resist against the headman because there is only one village or world where we have to live. In other words, resistance against U.S. hegemony will be the only option available.