🎯 Most Important Questions | PYQs | Easy Language | 2, 4, 6 Marks Format

🔹 🧠 2 Mark Questions (Very Short Answer)

1. Define hegemony.
   👉 Hegemony means leadership or dominance of one state over others in international relations.
2. What is meant by US hegemony as hard power?
   👉 It refers to the USA’s unmatched military power and capability to influence or control countries through force or pressure.
3. Name any two operations launched by the US as part of its global war on terrorism.
   👉 Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq).
4. What does ‘Operation Iraqi Freedom’ refer to?
   👉 A 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein on the suspicion of possessing weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).

📌 PYQ (2018): Name the two wars that the US fought during George W. Bush’s presidency.
👉 Afghanistan War and Iraq War

🔸 ✏️ 4 Mark Questions (Short Answer)

1. Explain any four components of US hegemony.
   👉

• Military dominance: Most powerful army, global military presence
• Economic power: Strongest economy with control over global trade and finance
• Cultural influence: US culture, fashion, and media dominate globally
• Technological leadership: Innovations in space, IT, internet, etc.

2. How did the US exercise hegemony through soft power?
   👉

• Promoted American culture, movies, music, and lifestyle
• Influence through media, education, and global brands (Coca-Cola, McDonald’s)
• Usage of aid diplomacy, scholarships, and partnerships

3. Why is the US considered a hegemon after the Cold War?
   👉

• Collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 ended bipolarity
• US became the sole superpower militarily, economically, and politically
• No other nation could challenge its influence directly

📌 PYQ (2019): What is meant by ‘global public good’? Give one example.
👉 A good that benefits all countries and people. Example: The internet.

🔵 🖋️ 6 Mark Questions (Long Answer)

Q1. What were the three types of US hegemony? Explain with examples.

Answer:
US hegemony refers to its supreme dominance in world affairs. After 1991, the USA became the unipolar power.

🔹 1. Hegemony as Hard Power:

• Military strength with worldwide bases
• Use of military force (Afghanistan, Iraq)
• Highest defense budget

🔹 2. Hegemony as Structural Power:

• Dominance over international institutions like IMF, WTO, World Bank
• Sets rules of global economy
• Influences trade, currency, loans

🔹 3. Hegemony as Soft Power:

• Spread of American culture: music, movies, brands
• Universities attract global students
• Internet, Hollywood, iPhones, jeans = cultural hegemony

US hegemony is multi-dimensional, making it difficult to counter directly.

Q2. How can hegemony be overcome? Explain any three strategies.

Answer:
Hegemony can be resisted in the following ways:

🔹 1. Bandwagon Strategy

• Aligning with the hegemon to gain benefits
• Example: India–US nuclear deal

🔹 2. Hide Strategy

• Avoiding confrontation
• Example: China focuses on internal growth instead of direct challenge

🔹 3. Resistance Strategy

• Using international organisations and groupings to balance power
• Example: NAM countries, EU, BRICS, ASEAN

Hegemony can’t be destroyed easily, but it can be checked through diplomacy, alliances, and regional cooperation.

📌 PYQ (2020): Explain three ways of resisting US hegemony.
👉 Bandwagon, Hide, and Resistance strategy

Q3. Describe US military dominance with examples.

Answer:
The US has unmatched military capabilities post–Cold War.

🔹 Maintains over 700 military bases globally
🔹 Has nuclear weapons, aircraft carriers, satellites
🔹 Took unilateral action in Iraq and Afghanistan
🔹 Controls airspace, seas, and intelligence network
🔹 Spends more on defense than the next 10 countries combined

This makes the US the only country capable of projecting power globally, often referred to as a “global policeman”.

📌 PYQ (2023): Give any three evidences to show US military dominance.
👉 Bases worldwide, nuclear power, unilateral wars.

🧾 CBSE PYQs Summary Table (2017–2024)

📒 Quick Revision Notes

✔ US Hegemony = One superpower after USSR’s collapse
✔ 3 Types: Hard power, Structural power, Soft power
✔ Examples: Iraq War, Hollywood, WTO influence
✔ Strategies to resist: Bandwagon, Hide, Resist
✔ Cultural dominance = Jeans, iPhone, Fast food, Netflix
✔ Still active: US foreign policy, military alliances (like NATO)