Topic 4.3

Essential Knowledge

Essential Knowledge 

• Political power is expressed geographically as control over people, land, and resources, as illustrated by neocolonialism, shatterbelts, and choke points 
• Territoriality is the connection of people, their culture, and their economic systems to the land 

Expression of Political Power 

Political power is tied to control of people, land, and resources. It appears in: 

• Neocolonialism – Former colonies still experience economic or political pressure from more powerful states. 
• Shatterbelts – Regions caught between stronger external forces, often leading to conflict. Example: Eastern Europe during the Cold War. 
• Choke Points – Strategic waterways that countries compete to control. Examples: Strait of Hormuz, Panama Canal. 
• Territoriality– the strong connection people feel toward their land—based on culture, history, or economic systems. Territoriality often drives nationalism and border conflicts. 

Contextualization

Video #1 

This video breaks down the way that Presidential elections take place in the United States with the use of an electoral college. This is a system that is often overlooked and is a good example of how devolution works in the United States in connection to our federal electoral system. 

Video #2 

This is another video that breaks down the electoral college, building off of the vox video in a heavily factual, non-biased way.  

Video #3 

Devolution is how power is split apart within any one particular entity. In the United States this is where the concept of checks and balances comes into play.  

Video #4 

A Review of territoriality and devolution 

In Practice

Essential Question: 

Describe the concepts of political power and territoriality as used by geographers. 

Conceptual Analysis: 

1. Compare subsequent and superimposed boundaries. 
2. Describe how the nature of a country’s boundaries is linked with its history and political situation.  
3. Explain why countries find it necessary to delimit their boundaries.  

Vocab Review:  

Provide a shorthand working definition for each of the following terms. This means it needs to be in YOUR OWN WORDS. 

• State 
• Nation  
• Nation-State 
• Voting District  
• Redistricting  
• Gerrymander  
• Unitary State 
• Federal State  
• Subnational Political Territorial Unit 
• Autonomous Region  
• Semi-Autonomous Region  
• Devolution  

MCQ

(You only need to write the letter of the answer that you select)

1. Which scenario best illustrates the concept of neocolonialism?

A. A country gains independence after a long anti-colonial movement.
B. A powerful country uses loans and trade agreements to influence the policies of a less-developed country.
C. Two neighboring countries dispute the location of a border.
D. An ethnic group seeks self-determination within a multinational state.

2. During the Cold War, Eastern Europe was often described as a shatterbelt because it

A. contained numerous strategic waterways that controlled global trade.
B. was divided into many independent nation-states based on ethnicity.
C. was caught between competing external powers and experienced political tensions and conflict.
D. served as a major center of economic globalization.

3. Which of the following is the best example of territoriality influencing political behavior?

A. A country invests heavily in foreign factories to expand its economy.
B. Citizens support a movement to reclaim land they view as historically and culturally significant to their group.
C. A government lowers tariffs to encourage international trade.
D. A multinational corporation relocates production to reduce labor costs.