The Wrong People at the Top

Power. What is it? Political theorist Robert Dahl gave one example. He said, “A has power over B to the extent that he can get B to do something that he would not otherwise do.” Why is it that often that those who are on top are the wrong people? The high rollers and the nabobs lust for power behind a smokescreen of homilies about doing good. Today, more and more power is concentrated in the hands of the few, thus weakening democracy. Who wields it? How is it allocated? What are effective ways to ensure power is not abused and serves the societal greater good? How can we organize and protect ourselves from those seeking personal power and profit? How can we get the right people on top?

Speaker: Brian Klaas

Brian Klaas is a professor of global politics at University College London and a contributing writer for The Atlantic. He is the author of Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us and Fluke: Chance, Chaos, and Why Everything We Do Matters.

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