Source: BBC World News America

Speaking on BBC World News America, Carnegie's Moisés Naím discussed the implications of how power has recently become more dispersed and thus more difficult to use. With new competitors entering the arena, there is an underlying threat to the significance and power of existing actors. In his new book, The End of Power, Naím explains that power is easier to get, harder to wield, and faster to lose. Power has become more fleeting and transient, with a number of different kinds of constraints limiting the abilities of those in power, whether countries, corporations, churches, or armies, Naím said. The BRICS-- Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa-- are an example of how new countries are challenging the traditional power structure. These five large, fast-growing economies share great economic performance, yet they face the same corrosion of power that the big powers, such as the United States and Europe, have also experienced, said Naím.

This interview was originally broadcast on BBC World News America.