If you'd like to print out this page, click the Print button above. Alternatively, you may click the printer icon on your browser's toolbar, or choose File>Print from the menu.     Communist and Post-Communist States 1 The Cold War divided countries into the advanced, industrial democracies, often called the "First World," and the Communist states, typically labeled the "Second World," with every other country thrown into a catch-all category called the "Third World." Since the Cold War ended the Second World has undergone a great many transitions. While some Communist states adopted democracy, others retained their commitment to Communism. Let’s begin our exploration of Communist and Post-Communist states by identifying their geographic location and prominence in world politics. CLICK DATA FILE: GLOBAL04 CLICK TASK: Univariate SELECT PRIMARY VARIABLE: THREEWORLD CLICK: [Continue] 1. How many of the world’s countries are classified as Second World? (Correct Answer: 32) 2. What percentage of the world’s countries were classified as Second World? (Correct Answer: 18.6 percent) 3. True or False: There were more states classified as Second World than First World. (Correct Answer: True) CLICK: TASKS CLICK TASK: Mapping SELECT VARIABLE 1: THREEWORLD CLICK VIEW: Map CLICK: [Continue] 4. True or False: Europe had a high concentration of Communist states. There are more Second World states in West Europe than in East Europe. (Correct Answer: False) 5. Outside of Europe, which other continent had the highest concentration of Second World states? (Correct Answer: Asia) 6. Which Second World state is located in the Western Hemisphere? (Correct Answer: Cuba) Important differences exist between states in the First and Second Worlds along a number of important social and economic measures. Let’s examine the gross domestic product per capita, an indicator of the standard of living within countries, and make some comparisons. CLICK: TASKS CLICK TASK: Univariate SELECT PRIMARY VARIABLE: GDP/C-1ST CLICK: [Continue] 7. What percentage of states classified as First World have gross domestic products per capita of $10,000 or more? (Correct Answer: 96 percent) One method to determine a measure of central tendency, or a "typical" gross domestic product per capita, is to look at the median point (i.e., mid-point) of all the gross domestic products per capita. CLICK: TASKS CLICK TASK: Mapping SELECT VARIABLE 1: GDP/C-ONE CLICK VIEW: Rank Table CLICK: [Continue] 8. What is the value of the median gross domestic product per capita (the "middle" GDP/CAP for First World states, or the 13th of the 25 countries on the list)? (Correct Answer: $22,700) 9. What is the highest GDP/CAP figure? (Correct Answer: $34,200) CLICK: VARIABLES     SELECT VARIABLE 1: SW-GDP/CAP CLICK VIEW: Rank Table CLICK: [Continue] 10. Which second world country has the highest GDP/capita? (Correct Answer: Czech Republic) 11. What is the GDP/capita of that country? (Correct Answer: $11,700) 12. What is the range of GDPs/capita (i.e., lowest and highest figures)? (Correct Answer: $1,000 - $11,700) 13. True or False:The highest GDPs/CAP in the Second World is lower than the median GDPs/CAP for all nations. (Correct Answer: True) Another way to examine differences in GDPs is to compare the shares of world GDP earned by both First and Second World countries. CLICK: DATA FILES CLICK DATA FILE: WORLD SHARES CLICK TASK: Univariate SELECT PRIMARY VARIABLE: GDP SHARES CLICK: [Continue] 14. What percentage of world GDP is earned by First World States? (Correct Answer: 62.8 percent) 15. What percentage of world GDP is earned by Second World States? (Correct Answer: 6 percent) Now let’s explore whether or not the shares of GDP earned by First and Second World states are proportionate to the percentage of the world’s population living in these countries. CLICK: VARIABLES SELECT PRIMARY VARIABLE: POP SHARES CLICK: [Continue] 16. What percentage of the world’s population resides in First World States? (Correct Answer: 14.2 percent) 17. What percentage of the world’s population resides in Second World States? (Correct Answer: 29.7 percent) 18. True or False: The percentage of the world’s population living in the Second World is proportionate to its share of world GDP. (Correct Answer: False) In addition to economic factors, the environment is a major concern. Communist states were never renowned for their environmental policies, and most are still experiencing the negative effects of their decisions related to the environment. Let’s examine greenhouse gas emissions per capita, as one measure. CLICK: DATA FILES CLICK DATA FILE: GLOBAL04 CLICK TASK: Mapping SELECT VARIABLE 1: GREENHOUSE CLICK VIEW: Alphabetical Table CLICK: [Continue] 19. Identify the Greenhouse gas emissions per capita and world rank for each of the following Second World countries Country GREENHOUSE/CAPITA WORLD RANK Answer China 2.7 (74) Poland 9.0 (24) Russia 9.7 (20) Ukraine 7.2 (37) Let’s compare expected the expected life spans of people in the First and Second World. CLICK: VARIABLES SELECT VARIABLE 1: LIFE EXPTC CLICK VIEW: Rank Table CLICK: [Continue] 20. All of the top fifteen countries on the list are First World countries. What is the range of average life expectancy for the top fifteen? (Correct Answer: 77.4 to 80.7 years) 21. What is the average life expectancy in the United States? (Correct Answer: 77.1 years) CLICK: VARIABLES SELECT VARIABLE 1: SW-LIFEEXP CLICK VIEW: Rank Table CLICK: [Continue] 22. What is the range of average life expectancy for the top fifteen Second World countries? (Correct Answer: 64.5 to 76.2 years) 23. True or False: A majority of Second World states have an average life expectancy of less than 70 years. (Correct Answer: True) 24. What are some factors you think might help to explain the differences in average expected life span between the First and Second Worlds. The end of the Cold War occurred for a variety of reasons, including what some analysts have labeled the "Triple Crisis" of declining production, increasing ethnic conflict, and, ultimately, a loss of political legitimacy. Subsequently, some countries retained their Communist systems while some transitioned to other systems of government. Let’s explore these developments. CLICK: VARIABLES SELECT VARIABLE 1: SW-GOVTYP CLICK VIEW: Map CLICK: [Continue] 25. True or False: A majority of Second World states have democratic forms of government. (Correct Answer: True) 26. How many states retain Communist systems? (Correct Answer: Three) CLICK: BACK (use your browser’s back button) SELECT VARIABLE 1: SW-GOVTYPE CLICK VIEW: Rank Table CLICK: [Continue] 27. Identify the states that possess Communist systems. (Correct Answer: China, Cuba, Vietnam) 28. Russia is classified as having which type of government? (Correct Answer: Democracy/Republic/Federation) 29. Identify the states that have authoritarian regimes. (Correct Answer: North Korea and Uzbekistan) 30. Identify the states that are in "transition." (Correct Answer: Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina) Clearly the strength of democracy is related to its age, and the new Second World democracies are still very young, compared to countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, or even Germany and Japan. The extent of political freedom is one measure we can use to assess the strength of democracies in these countries. CLICK: VARIABLES SELECT VARIABLE 1: SW-FREEDOM CLICK VIEW: Rank Table CLICK: [Continue] 31. True or False: Those countries that rank highest in regard to the extent of individual freedom are clustered in East Europe. (Correct Answer: True) 32. True or False: Russia ranks lowest (i.e., has a value of "one") in regard to the extent of freedom enjoyed by its citizens. (Correct Answer: False) Another issue that affects the growth of democracy is the perceived level of corruption. Let’s make some comparisons. CLICK: VARIABLES SELECT VARIABLE 1: NO CORRUPT CLICK VIEW: Rank Table CLICK: [Continue] 33. Identify the perceived corruption level and world rank for each of the following established democracies: Country CORRUPTION LEVEL WORLD RANK Answers Canada 9.2, and six Germany 7.9, and fifteen United Kingdom 8.7, and eleven United States 7.5, and sixteen CLICK: VARIABLES SELECT VARIABLE 1: SW-NO CORRUPT CLICKVIEW: Rank Table CLICK: [Continue] 34. Identify the range (i.e,. the highest and lowest) of values on the perceived corruption index for Second World states. (Correct Answer: 2.4 to 5.7) 35. True or False: All the Second World states have more perceived corruption than the United States. (Correct Answer: True) 36. Given what you’ve learned about Second World states, how long do you think it will take for these countries to develop strong democracies and why?