This seminar examines how we think about power and influence in international politics. We will consider traditional answers based on military might and examine how globalization, technology, ideology, and economic interdependence are changing the ways we should think about power and influence. After engaging in an analysis of power and influence in today’s world, the participants will consider 5 particular individuals—some expected, others perhaps unexpected or even unknown—who are calling the shots in global affairs today. We’ll conclude with a detailed look at what their influence means for our global future.
William Burke-White is the Richard Perry Professor and was the Inaugural Director of the Perry World House at the University of Pennsylvania. He has received both the Levin Award and the Gorman award for Excellence in Teaching at Penn.