Name: ___________________________________________
AP
PREP
State Organization and
National Power
Period: ________
Date: _________
Political Change
Fill in the blanks to complete the definition or sentence. Note: All of the following information in addition to your
reading is important, not just the blanks you fill in.
Core-Periphery Model
• COLONIALISM has changed the global order of
politics; often creating unequal cultural and economic
relations.
• WORLD SYSTEMS ANALYSIS (Immanuel
Wallerstein) – viewed the world as an interlocked
system of states; he tied political and economic
geography together.
• CORE – consists of the economically dominant states
and regions (e.g. United States, EU, Japan,…).
• PERIPHERY – the developing states; have little
autonomy or global influence (e.g. Sub-Saharan
Africa).
• SEMI-PERIPHERY – in the middle; keeps the world
from being polarized into two extremes (e.g. Eastern
Europe).
Cores and Capitals
• Within a state – the national heartland: may contain
1) the largest population CLUSTER,
2) the most PRODUCTIVE region,
3) the greatest CETRALITY,
4) CAPITAL (multicore states – Nigeria, U.S.)
• For a region – may be an area with several
ECONOMICALLY (and therefore politically) strong
states.
• All states have a CAPITAL city. List a few
characteristics most possess:
POLITICAL NERVE CENTER, SEAT OF
GOVERNMENT, CENTER OF NATIONAL LIFE,…
• PRIMATE city – may be the state’s largest city; most
expressive of culture, may be capital: Mexico City,
Paris, Jakarta, … (many countries don’t have one: e.g.
US)
• FORWARD capital - a capital city moved for a
national objective, such as to move to the geographic
center, to better represent the culture, to move to a
disputed territory, …
Internal Political Geographic Structure
• UNITARY state – a state with a highly centralized
government, central authority exerts power equally
over its territory (UK, France).
• FEDERAL state – the central government represents
various entities within a state, allows entities to retain
some power (the most geographically expressive –
Mexico, Brazil, U.S.).
Internal Political Boundaries and Arrangements
•
ELECTORAL geography – deals with the geography
of representation.
• US – 435 seats in House, after 1990 census,
government instructed States to develop
MAJORITY-MINORITY districts; these are
considered “BELOW” the state boundaries.
• Look at the map showing the county results of the 2004
U.S. presidential election. The red-colored counties
went for BUSH, whereas the blue-colored ones went
for KERRY.
• The lower map shows the counties in terms of their
POPULATION not their actual size and shape.
• What patterns do you notice?
URBAN AREAS MOSTLY DEMOCRAT,
REPUBLICANS DOMINATE RURAL AREAS (& MOST
LAND AREA), …
• GERRYMANDERING – redistricting for advantage;
originated in 1812 when Gov. Elbridge Gerry of
Massachusetts (salamander-looking district)
Opposing Forces
• CENTRIPETAL forces – promote unity within a state.
Identify a few of these forces:
EDUCATION, NATIONALISM, CHARISMATIC
LEADERSHIP, CIRCULATION,…
• CENTRIFUGAL forces – divisive forces;
TRIBALISM (SECTIONALISM) – exists when people
identify more with their local affiliation than with their
country (this term is usually associated with African or
some Asian states). Identify a few of these forces:
ETHNIC DISUNITY, REGIONAL DISPARITIES, …