Having influence and power can have two different meanings depending on circumstances. When you think of influential people, you think of those whose words or actions can affect the behavior of others based on persuasion. Power is more forceful, and yet the results are just the same.
To be considered powerful, a person would have to have the ability to control a person or persons. The meaning, along with the meaning of influential, is very complex as it doesn’t always pertain to one thing. Religion is powerful; people are powerful. In this context, the most powerful and influential people can be narrowed down to political figures.
List of the most influential people in the world
Joe Biden
The United States is one of the most high-powered countries. It has the biggest economy and one of the strongest militaries. With access to nuclear weapons, the president has the power to use those advantages under the laws of Congress. The United States’ power comes from its cultural influence on large parts of the world.
With the Americanization of media and the sale of the “American Dream” combined, the U.S. was able to dominate narratives nationally and globally. Because of how strong the influence of the United States is on other parts of the world, whoever the current president is holds the title of being one of the most powerful people in the world. This gives the president, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., the resources to interfere with the affairs of foreign countries, as it has been done throughout history.
Xi Jinping
Recognized by Forbes as the most powerful person in the world, Xi Jinping is the president of China and the leader of the Chinese Communist Party. The Chinese Communist Party is the only political party in the People’s Republic of China, which Xi Jinping has led since 2013. This title makes Xi Jinping able to make decisions for the whole country.
Xi Jinping was able to become the leader of the world’s most populated country with the second-highest economy with the help of his father. Jinping’s father is known as one of the country’s revolutionary leaders, which drove the vote for his position. In early 2023, Xi Jinping was unanimously elected to a third five-year term as president, potentially making him president indefinitely.
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin is the former prime minister and current president of Russia, the largest country in the world. Since holding the position in 2012, Putin has exerted his role as president as assertive and unremorseful in his decisions. He is the strongest person in the Russian Federation. One of his goals as leader of Russia has been to establish influence in global affairs. He achieved this with his interference in the U.S. 2016 presidential election and his public defense against Syrian criticism for using chemical agents.
Putin’s aim is said to be the re-establishment of a Russian empire, rounding its dominance in Eastern Europe. In February 2022, Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine, making the casualty the biggest attack on a European country since World War II. His call for invasion has been condemned by a large number of Western countries, some of whom have provided military and humanitarian aid in support of Ukraine.
Donald Trump
The former president of the United States is on the list of most influential people globally. He also holds the record of being the strongest person in the world at one time. Before his presidential term, Trump was known as a real estate mogul, with operations expanding from skyscrapers, hotels, casinos, etc. He could also be seen doing casual acting gigs and since has made himself into a celebrity in his own right.
After announcing his candidacy in the 2016 election, Trump has gained a cult following through his conservative views and “Make America Great Again” slogan. Since he was elected president in 2016, he has launched a hard-right popularity in several other countries, including Europe. Despite his terminated position as president and many indictments, Donald Trump leads a party of people imprudently wanting his return as head of state.
Pope Francis
With a list of individuals who have power over countries, Pope Francis makes the list of the biggest influences due to religion. Organized religion is powerful similar to government politics, in a way that mobilizes from a personal state to gain power. Unlike government politics, religious following stretches across different ideologies, whether left or right wing.
Pope Francis’ role is as the head of the Catholic Church, one of the most powerful organizations in the world, which makes him one of the strongest persons in the world. His brand as the first pope to consider revisiting traditional teachings made him a notable name at the beginning of his term. Since then, his controversies of financial struggles and sexual assault allegations have martyred mixed reactions to his ruling. Until the next head of the Vatican selection, Pope Francis, remains as one the most influential people in the world.
Besides making world decisions, what makes these people powerful is their ability to control what information is and isn’t being let out into the world. They can manufacture propaganda, which goes into what kind of information we are being fed. Information that affects the way we think, vote, and react. This sort of influence over the masses is the kind of power that many others hold, but notably those included in the list above.
