The Global Power of Britain Essay

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Updated: Jan 11th, 2024

Introduction

The British Empire was made up of numerous territories controlled by the UK and was set up in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its peak, it was the unprecedented global power. However, all this changed rapidly and by the end of WWII, the US had become the new super power.

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Reasons the global power of Britain declined

  • Low growth potential especially in the early years, coupled with a low social capability.
  • Soft policies adopted by post-war governments; these domestic policy goals were sometimes sacrificed for foreign policy
  • Disadvantages of a head start – After Industrial Revolution, Britain saddled with an out-of-date capital stock that could not enable it have an edge over other industrialized nations.
  • Underskilled Workforce: – Comparative data for the 1960s and 1970s suggests that the proportion entering higher education was lower in Britain than in most other industrial, deficiencies were also evident in Secondary Schools.
  • High marginal tax rates – Before Thatcher (in 1976), had 41% average rate (32% in U.S. and 21% in Japan).
  • Sociological problems- Entrepreneurial spirit died with successive generations. The trade unions that had been established did not help as they stifled labor productivity (Almond et al, 2008).

Similarities between the British experience and the current situation of the U.S

Both the British and the U.S. systems are among the world’s oldest democracies in the world in similarity. In terms of labor markets, the British Labor Markets and Labor Relations covers about 27% of the labor force, down from 50 in 1980, but much larger than the current U.S. share.

Before its final collapse after the WWII, Britain was engaged in numerous wars in its colonies, which spread across Europe, Africa, and even the Americas. As a result, Britain diverted most of its resources towards these wars while losing control of its own economy due the distraction from war. Unemployment was high and its economy was in decline. In contrast, other industrialized nations were prospering and Britain failed to keep pace with these developments. Ironically, these nations imitated Britain’s production methods and before long, Britain lost its position as the world’s super power.

The trend is almost similar in the current US economy. The nation is fighting many wars around world, from the Middle East, Asia and Africa, consequently, its military spending has been so high, besides it has lost grip of its economy, especially after the recent global financial crisis. While other countries such as China are making efforts towards developing their economy, the US’ focus is almost entirely focused on other nations, and this has had a dire effect on its economy.

The U.S. will follow a similar path to that of Britain in the years to come since it is likely to lose its place as the global ‘hyper power’ very soon. Certainly, its place as the lead superpower already hangs in the balance due to several factors that can be equated to Britain just before its collapse. For instance, unemployment rates have been slowly rising over the years and its competitors, such as China, are slowly gaining ground, in the future, the US may not be able to deal with these challenges and may relinquish the position of world super power.

Reference

Almond, G. A., Powell, G. B., Dalton, R. J., and Strom, K. (2008). Comparative politics today: a world view. London: Longman,

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IvyPanda. (2024) 'The Global Power of Britain'. 11 January.

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IvyPanda. 2024. "The Global Power of Britain." January 11, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-global-power-of-britain/.

1. IvyPanda. "The Global Power of Britain." January 11, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-global-power-of-britain/.


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IvyPanda. "The Global Power of Britain." January 11, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-global-power-of-britain/.

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