Political Power (College Board AP® Human Geography)

Political Power & Geography
Political power

• Political power is often linked to the control of land and resources

• This can be demonstrated in:

  • neocolonialism

  • choke points

  • shatterbelts

Neocolonialism

• Neocolonialism refers to the process by which one country gains indirect control of another country through economic or cultural pressures 

  • Neocolonialism differs from colonialism which generally utilized military power and conquest

• Neocolonialism can be expressed politically, culturally, or economically

  • For example, countries such as Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, have continued to export raw materials even after independence, which has resulted in economic underdevelopment

  • This is an example of economic neocolonialism

• Other examples of neocolonialism include: 

  • the exploitation of cheap labor in former colonies

  • permanent military bases in other countries

  • the exertion of economic control by MDCs (more developed countries) over LDCs (less developed countries) 

  • exertion of cultural power, including language, clothing, and media can also be a form of neocolonialism

    • For example, English, French, and other colonial languages are often prioritized over learning local languages

    • Higher education, in particular, may only be conducted in English

    • Similarly, Western fashion, such as suits and ties, are often considered to be more professional or formal in many countries, though it is not the traditional dress of those countries

    • American and European films dominate global viewing, which spreads the cultural values and norms of those countries, potentially at the expense of Indigenous cultures

Choke points

• Choke points are areas where the physical geography creates a narrow opening, making trade or travel between two points difficult.

  • This often leads to conflict

• The political entity that controls the choke point is able to exert significant political power because it controls the flow of people, goods, and resources

• The entity with the ability to potentially close such a vital transitway has significant influence

• This influence can be used to pressure others or in negotiations with others

• Examples of chokepoints include:

  • the Strait of Hormuz

  • the Strait of Gibraltar

  • the Bosphorus Strait

  • the Straits of Malacca

Shatter belt

• A shatter belt is an area where larger regional or global political phenomena cause conflict at a local scale

• Shatterbelts are typically areas with high degrees of cultural and political fragmentation, which are made worse by interference from outside powers

  • Korea, Vietnam, and the Balkans during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union are examples of shatter belts

  • The larger Cold War affected local conflicts within these countries

    • For example, though the wars in both Korea and Vietnam started due to internal disagreements, they grew because of interference from outside powers

    • The Soviet Union and the United States chose sides in the conflicts and the interference of these global superpowers caused the conflicts to grow

Territoriality

• Territoriality is the connection between people, their culture, and their economic systems with the specific location in which they live

• Groups often express territoriality by:

  • creating fixed borders around the land they claim

  • controlling people and activities within that area

  • defending the area from other, external groups

• The control of people and activities within a given area is accomplished by the creation of laws and political and economic systems

• Territoriality can be expressed at multiple scales

  • For example, a city government, state government, and the U.S. federal government all claim control over the same area, but institute laws and controls at different levels

• Territoriality can lead to conflict, as multiple groups lay claim to the same location

  • For example, both India and Pakistan claim the Kashmir region

  • The dispute over this territory has led to several direct conflicts between the two states