Deck 20: The Next Three Futures: Another Round of Us Hegemony, Global Collapse, or Global Democracy

Question 1

Countries in the semiperiphery

A) have less of an investment in the current system, and thus more freedom to implement new technologies and forms of organization
B) may have enough resources to protect themselves from exploitation while simultaneously exploiting other nations.
C) are not good candidates for making radical changes in the system.
D) a and b above
E) a, b and c above

Answer 1

D

Question 2

According to Chapter 20, a major flaw in Patomaki's argument is

A) the lack of focus on the structural aspects of the world-system hierarchy, which thus overlooks the importance of the semiperiphery.
B) his complete dismissal of futurist arguments, such as the scenario portrayed by Wagar.
C) his omission of the world revolution of 1848 in the broader discussion.
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT one of the possible future scenarios hypothesized in Chapter 20?

A) Another round of U.S. hegemony
B) A collapse of U.S. hegemony followed by global warfare, epidemic diseases, and environmental collapse
C) The emergence of a global democratic commonwealth
D) A benevolent corporate capitalist new world order
E) All of the above are possible future scenarios hypothesized by the authors

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Technological rent is

A) a high price that can be charged by the originators of a new product because they are the only producers.
B) the differential returns received by merchants whose trading efforts are supported by a cost-efficient and protection-providing state.
C) the labor time and products of direct producers that are appropriated by the ruling class in a class society.
D) the higher prices that manufacturers in places like Silicon Valley have to pay for their corporate buildings because landlords know they have the money to pay these higher prices.
E) None of the above

Question 5

Which of the below are reasons why the New Global Left is a qualitatively different constellation of forces from earlier Global Lefts?

A) There are new movements
B) The old movements have been reshaped.
C) The Internet is being used to resolve Global North/South issues within movements and the contradictions among movements.
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 6

Demographers predict that the total population of the earth

A) has already peaked.
B) will peak in 2015.
C) will peak in 2075.
D) will peak in 2200.
E) will continue to grow rapidly for the foreseeable future.

Question 7

The call for a democratic global people's parliament has been most explicitly made by

A) Herbert Spencer.
B) Karl Marx.
C) George Monbiot.
D) William Robinson.
E) Barack Obama

Question 8

Which nation is currently the world's largest polluter in terms of the total output of pollution (not per capita)?

A) Russia
B) China
C) Brazil
D) India
E) The United States

Question 9

Which of the following is a critical problem with the current structuring of the United Nations that would need resolution prior to it being effectively able to help with the emergent challenges of humanity?

A) The lack of monopoly over legitimate violence
B) The relatively small number of nation-states that are recognized as member states
C) The dominance of militant peripheral nations like North Korea and Somalia on the Security Council
D) The heavy Tobin taxes that the UN currently forces on member nations
E) All of the above

Question 10

The New Global Left described in Chapter 20 is a network of alliances mainly among

A) corporations, the United Nations, and the emerging markets
B) progressive social movements and political regimes of countries in the Global South, along with some allies in the Global North.
C) social entrepreneurs who meet at the World Economic Forum.
D) the transnational capitalist class.
E) All of the above working together

Question 11

What would the proposed Tobin Tax be levied on?

A) Carbon emissions
B) Real estate construction
C) International financial transactions
D) The World Trade Organization
E) Drones that cross international boundaries

Question 12

Which of the following nations is NOT identified in Chapter 20 as one of the strongest supporters of the contemporary global justice movement?

A) Brazil
B) Mexico
C) India
D) Venezuela
E) The United States

Question 13

The progressive populist "Pink Tide" regimes referred to in Chapter 20 are located in which region of the world?

A) North America
B) Europe
C) Africa
D) Latin America
E) Asia

Question 14

The semiperiphery is structurally advantaged to take the lead in ecological sustainability efforts globally.

Question 15

A global democratic government would probably not have the support of the majority of the world's people, according to Chapter 20.

Question 16

The democratic global governance that Florini advocates is the same thing as a global state.

Question 17

Chapter 20 proposes the idea that the most likely of the possible global futures is the prospect of another round of U.S. hegemony.

Question 18

A factor in favor of a second round of U.S. hegemony is the flexibility of American culture, which gives an advantage in the development of new lead industries.

Question 19

A major factor missing from Patomaki's argument is the importance of the transformative role played by the semiperiphery.

Question 20

According to Chapter 20, a major global disaster would certainly ruin all chance of building a global democratic commonwealth.

Question 21

The New Global Left is mainly composed of the social movements that were prominent in the world revolution of 1917

Question 22

According to Chapter 20, the major world problems outlined in Chapter 19 will produce an opportunity for building global democracy.

Question 23

According to Chapter 20, most countries in the semiperiphery are unlikely to support the efforts of the New Global Left.

Question 24

According to Chapter 20, it is impossible for the United States to reverse its hegemonic decline.

Question 25

Chapter 20 contends that the issue of military power should not be discussed in connection with the construction of a democratic global society.

Question 26

Chapter 20 contends that catastrophes caused by humans are likely to permanently destroy the global ecosystem.

Question 27

Outline the three possible futures proposed in Chapter 20. Explain which of these are more likely to occur, and why.

Question 28

Explain why semiperipheral countries are more likely to be the agents of modern sociocultural evolution than are core or peripheral countries.

Question 29

Discuss the issue of agency in Patomaki's model of the emergence of global democracy. What are the forces that Patomaki's believes will carry the project forward and what is suggested by the authors of Chapter 20 as an alternative source of support?

Question 30

Explain how a global democratic people's parliament could be structured and funded.

Question 31

Discuss and critique Warren Wagar's hypothetical future of the 21ˢᵗ century.

Question 32

Describe the factors that Rennstich claims might make it possible for the U.S. to succeed itself and carry out another round of hegemony.

Question 33

Why do hegemons not usually succeed themselves?

Question 34

How and why might the relative size of the U.S. economy affect the rate of U.S. hegemonic decline?

Question 35

How and why does the huge north/south inequality in energy usage affect the ability to solve the global collective action problem regarding the organization of a sustainable economy?

Question 36

Discuss the nature of the New Global Left in historical perspective.

Question 37

Discuss the issues involved with Max Weber's definition of a state as a monopoly of legitimate violence as relevant to the issue of global governance.

Question 38

Discuss and critique the scenario proposed in Chapter 20 for the emergence of a democratic and sustainable world society in the next few decades.