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Module 4 Guided Notes: Political Patterns and Processes
This document is designed to assist you in organizing important information as you read through each lesson. You should take notes on the Key Terms and Essential Knowledge. To gather necessary information, be sure you click through all interactivities and tabs on a lesson page.
Module 4 – Big Ideas:
- Patterns and Spatial Organization: How do historical and current events influence political structures around the world?
- Impacts and Interactions: How are balances of power reflected in political boundaries and government power structures?
- Spatial Patterns and Societal Change: How can political, economic, cultural, or technological changes challenge state sovereignty?
Introduction to Political Geography
Key Vocabulary Political geography
State Sovereignty Microstates Nation Nationality Self-determination Nation-state Multinational states Multiethnic states Stateless nations Nationalism Physical boundaries Political boundaries Centripetal forces Centrifugal forces
Essential
Knowledge
When studying a country, what are some points of interest for a political geographer? What criteria must be met for a political unit to be considered a state? Why is sovereignty important to a state? Summarize the situation in Cyprus and the role sovereignty plays. Explain how you will remember what the term state refers to. Does the size of a state matter? What is the difference between ethnicity and nationality? Why are Japan, Ireland, and Germany considered nation-states? Explain why the UK is considered a multinational state. Why are Belgium and the United States considered multiethnic states? Describe the situation that occurred that left the Kurds a stateless nation. What is an autonomous region? Give an example of an autonomous region and explain why it fits the criteria mentioned in the question above. Explain why Antarctica is neither a nation nor a state. How do physical and political boundaries influence nationalism? Complete the organizer with information related to centripetal and centrifugal forces in geography. Concept Explanation Type of Force Nationalism Regionalism Ethnocentris m
Summary What are the different types of political entities discussed in the lesson?
Identify a contemporary example for each political entity explained in the question above.
How does access to land and resources impact the power of each country listed below? ● Japan ● China ● Nigeria ● Saudi Arabia ● Israel ● Egypt ● Bhutan ● United States
Summary How are federal and unitary states defined?
How are federal and unitary states different? In what ways do federal and unitary states affect spatial organization?
Political Power and Territoriality
Key Vocabulary Territorial morphology
Compact states Elongated states Fragmented states Perforated states Prorupted states Landlocked state Enclave Exclave Governability Economy
Essential
Knowledge
Complete the organizer with information related to the different types of states. Type of state Advantages/ Disadvantages Example Compact Elongated Fragmented Perforated Prorupted
Why are relationships with neighboring countries important for a country that is landlocked? How do enclaves and exclaves differ? Explain why Hawaii is NOT considered an exclave. In what ways does the shape of a state impact governability? What does the term infrastructure refer to? Summarize how the shape of the states listed below influence their infrastructure and economy. ● China ● Thailand ● Bolivia ● Afghanistan ● Indonesia Describe the positive and negative impacts of the following physical features on states. Feature Positive impacts Negative impacts Mountain s Rivers Deserts Explain the role of physical features on relationships between states.
Summary What concepts of political power and territoriality as used by geographers
to describe governability and relationships between states?
Political Boundaries
Key Vocabulary Physical boundaries
Subcontinent Political boundaries Definition Delimitation Demarcation Administration Metes and bounds Antecedent boundaries
o Example: ● Locational o Defined: o Example: ● Operational o Defined: o Example: ● Allocational o Defined: o Example: Trace the history of conflict in Kashmir.
Summary What terms are used by geographers to describe political boundaries?
What are the nature and function of international and internal boundaries?
Political Processes
Key Vocabulary Mercantilism
Dependency theory Neocolonialism
Essential
Knowledge
What is the Treaty of Tordesillas? Which six European nations were driven to explore and colonize by mercantilism? Explain the three forms of imperialism. What factors contributed to European nations being successful during imperialism? Describe the events that led to the “Scramble for Africa.” What were the consequences of imperialism in Africa? How did Ethiopia and Liberia manage to remain independent? What events occurred in the mid-1940s that led to most imperialized nations becoming independent? Summarize the events of India’s border disputes.
Explain the border issues in Africa and South America. Identify the positive and negative effects of colonialism. ● Positive ● Negative
Summary What processes have shaped contemporary political geography?
Consequences of Centrifugal and Centripetal Forces
Key Vocabulary Cold War
Democratic Communist Democratization Satellite states Buffer zone Shatterbelt theory Balkans Balkanization
Essential
Knowledge
How do centripetal and centrifugal forces differ? In the interactive, which five factors did you choose? What was the outcome? Was the outcome what you expected? Using the “book” choices from the interactive, complete the organizer with at least five examples of centripetal and centrifugal forces. Centripetal Force examples & explanation of impact Centrifugal Force examples & explanation of impact
Dissolution Devolution Secede Annexation Reunification Terrorism Transnational Diplomacy
Essential
Knowledge
In the “Best Decision” interactive, it seemed there was not an option that made everyone happy. Can you think of something that could benefit the town as a whole? Fill in the organizer below with information related to each form of government. How do irredentism, dissolution, and devolution impact the power within states? Identify examples of irredentism, dissolution, and devolution. Summarize the events in the case study presented in the lesson. Focus specifically on details related to irredentism. ● Kurdistan ● Chechnya ● Germany What common characteristics are present in states that devolve? Trace the events leading to devolution in the countries listed in the organizer. Country Sequence of events
United Kingdom Russia Hong Kong Belgium What are some of the potential effects of irredentism? Summarize positive and negative effects of Germany’s reunification. Identify problems that can arise due to devolution. Explain the metaphor of terrorism being like dandelions. Provide examples of religious, political, and social causes of terrorism. What role does space-time compression have in “helping” terrorism? How do physical features factor into terrorist activities? What is the goal of violence exercised by terrorist groups? Explain the motivations of terrorist groups as related to the following topics: ● Political motives ● Religious and social motives ● Economic motives ● Environmental motives Summarize the history between Israel and Palestine’s conflict. Describe some of the terrorist activities at the local, national, and regional levels.
Summary What factors lead to the devolution of states?
Challenges to Sovereignty
Key Vocabulary Alliance
Supranationalism Superpower Gross Domestic Product Multilateralism
Summary How do political, economic, cultural, and technological changes challenge
state sovereignty? Which geographic characteristics and processes can influence terror groups and alliances at various scales?
Internal Boundaries
Key Vocabulary Census
Apportionment Redistricting Demographic Gerrymandering Stacked gerrymandering Excess vote gerrymandering Wasted vote gerrymandering Majority-minority
Essential
Knowledge
How are the 435 representatives in the House of Representatives distributed? What observations can you make about the redistricting process? Identify some of the difficulties encountered when India attempted to complete a census in 2010. In what ways is demographic useful to political candidates, legislators, or even city developers? What is the purpose of gerrymandering? Reference the “excess vote gerrymandering” interactive. Even though District B and C have smaller overall populations, how does the Republican party benefit from those district boundaries? Refer to the “wasted vote gerrymandering” interactive. How does this distribution impact voting outcomes? After clicking through the information presented on Florida’s demographics, do you notice a trend in the political leanings and district boundaries? Does it appear that gerrymandering is being used? How does gerrymandering impact geographic, social, and political factors in an electoral district?
Summary What is the nature and function of international and internal boundaries?
