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Source: Getty

In The Media

Power: Not What It Used to Be

In almost every realm, micro-powers are challenging the grip of old entrenched powers.

Link Copied
By Moisés Naím
Published on Apr 8, 2013

Source: WNYC Brian Lehrer Show

Speaking on WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show , Carnegie's Moisés Naím discussed the decades-long trend in which power is slowly being dispersed among a wider variety of individuals, groups, companies, countries, and institutions. He examined the siege of corporate dominance, where established multinational companies are threatened by the rising role of small start-ups.

Naím also discussed Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan and compared their influential role to the Internet. Thatcher and Reagan launched profound changes on how society was organized. The main themes of their policies included deregulation, privatization, and trade liberalization. These policies opened up previously closed markets and provided opportunities for global integration and cross-border activities. Thatcher and Reagan changed the world with liberalizing policies that opened doors and opportunities for people around the world.

In global affairs, Naím suggested an end to the analysis of the elevator patterns of actors who are rising and who are falling—much like the relationship between China and the United States. When an actor gets to the top, they find that it does not yield as much as it used to. Assessing who is going up and who is going down essentially misses the point of what is happening among those who have power.

About the Author

Moisés Naím

Distinguished Fellow

Moisés Naím is a distinguished fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a best-selling author, and an internationally syndicated columnist.

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Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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