Predicted Paper 3 Global · Q1B · 12-mark comparative

NATO and the UN: similarities

"Examine the similarities between NATO and the United Nations. (12 marks)"

1. What a 12-mark Examine question wants

This is a 12-mark Section A comparative question, marked AO1 and AO2 only - no AO3. You identify and explain clear, developed similarities between the two organisations.

Spec hook. The power of international organisations; global governance and security. NATO and the UN are both on the Global Politics specification.

Aim for three or four developed similarities: state the similarity, give accurate knowledge of both bodies (AO1), then explain what the similarity means (AO2).

2. NATO

NATO is a military alliance founded in 1949.

An intergovernmental organisation of member states, built on collective defence under Article 5.
Decisions are taken by consensus among members; NATO has no army of its own and depends on members' forces.
It has expanded its membership steadily since the Cold War.
It is often criticised for dominance by its most powerful member, the United States.

3. The United Nations

The United Nations is a global organisation founded in 1945.

An intergovernmental organisation of member states, created to maintain international peace and security.
It depends on member states for funding, troops and enforcement; it has no standing army of its own.
Its membership has expanded to near-universal coverage.
It is often criticised for great-power dominance through the Security Council and the P5 veto.

4. The key similarities

Set the two bodies side by side on the points that genuinely match.

Similarity	NATO	United Nations
Type of body	Intergovernmental organisation of member states	Intergovernmental organisation of member states
Origins	Founded 1949 in the post-1945 order	Founded 1945 after the Second World War
Core purpose	Collective defence and security	International peace and security
Dependence on members	No own army; relies on members' forces and consensus	No own army; relies on members' troops and funding
Great-power dominance	Criticised for US dominance	Criticised for P5 dominance and the veto

AO2 line. The deepest similarity is structural: both are intergovernmental bodies with no independent power, so both are only as effective as their members allow and both are open to control by their most powerful members. That contrast-free point can anchor the whole answer.

5. Writing the answer

Choose three or four similarities. For each, write one developed paragraph: state it, give AO1 knowledge of both bodies, then explain in AO2 what it means for how each organisation works.

Banned move. Do not evaluate which body is more effective - that is AO3 and earns nothing here.