Each year Forbes Magazine publishes its list of the most
powerful people in the world. They have
a methodology for their selections and the number of people they select. Each year they choose 1 powerful person for
every 100 million people. This year the
list is made up of 72 people.
This year there was a change at the top. In 2011 and 2012 President Barack Obama was
chosen as the most powerful person in the world. This year he has slipped to #2. He was replaced by the Russian President
Vladimir Putin. The one newcomer to the
list from 2012 is Pope Francis at the #4 position. The biggest climber in the top 10 is Xi
Jinping, the General Secretary of the Communist Party in China, who moved from
#9 in 2012 to #3 in 2013.
Below are the top 10 for 2013 and for 2012
2013
- 1. Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
- 2. Barack Obama, President of the United States of America
- 3. Xi Jinping, General Secretary, Communist Party, China
- 4. Pope Francis, Pope Roman Catholic Church
- 5. Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany
- 6. Bill Gates, Co-Chair of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- 7. Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the US Federal Reserve
- 8. Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia
- 9. Mario Draghi, President of the European Central Bank
- 10. Michael Duke, CEO Wal-mart
2012
- 1. Barrack Obama, President of the United States
- 2. Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany
- 3. Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
- 4. Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- 5. Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Roman Catholic Church
- 6. Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve
- 7. Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia
- 8. Mario Draghi, President of the European Central Bank
- 9. Xi Jinping, General Secretary Communist Party, China
- 10. David Cameron, Prime Minister, United Kingdom
The complete list can be found at: http://www.forbes.com/powerful-people/list/
What do you think about the changes to the top 10 from 2012
to 2013? Why do you think those changes
have occurred? What is your impression
of the people on the list? Based on what
you know about these people, who do you think Forbes evaluates power? Do you agree or not?
The changes to me seem kind of unpredictable because Vladimir went from 3 to 1 and Angela went from 2 to 5. I think it has changed like it was because maybe they went crazy with power and spent everything on stuff they don't need or there government fails. I agree he evaluates power because he went from 3 to 1 in one year.
ReplyDeleteI thing these changes in the top ten are kind-of confusing, but I guess if you think about it, it makes sense. I mean, during Obama's first term as president, he promised big things and big change, but by his second term, his promises seemed like old dreams. I bet that's why he dropped a rank. I also understand why Pope Francis became fourth. He is such a great Pope, and I guess since we haven't had a new Pope in so long, we really needed a change. As for the people on this list... I don't know very many of them. But the ones I do know are very good, genuine people. I think Forbes evaluates power to show the people in the world we should look up to and appreciate. I think that Forbes should do this because it really makes people understand why people are in power: because they do great things.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with both Avery and Luke because the changes were confusing and unpredictable, but it does make sense Obama isn't first because, like Avery said he promised great things that haven't yet been accomplished. I also think some of them might have changed because other "leaders" may have more power or, for all I know, they may just run what they control or take care of better, and they might just actually keep their promises. I don't know many of those people at all so I can't really tell how Forbes evaluates power. I'm just kind of neutral I don't really agree or disagree because I'm not sure who most of the people are or how they run their countries or what they do for their countries.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Anika, Avery, and Jack I did not see this coming. I think Obama went from 1-2 because of the big shutdown. I love where Pope Francis is on the chart. I think he had a pretty good year. Man are there a lot of leaders in there. I'm surprised Xi Jinping went from 9-3. I don't know about power because I've only heard of like 4 of these people.
ReplyDeleteI cant really tell a pattern with popularity levels. I can tell that Obama moved down because he was shut down. I am happy that Pope Francis is on the list at such a high point. Most of the people in there are political leaders which doesn't really surprise me. I think that leading you country or region or whatever you lead to success you are a better leader. Other than that I don't know much about the "power" rate
ReplyDeleteI think that the changes to the list are pointless because it really does not matter who is the most powerful person in the world. I think those changes occurred because the people moving up used their power they had. My impression is that mostly all of them are all political leaders. Forbes is evaluating power by each leaders ability to create wealth. No I do not agree.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone; it's very unpredictable and confusing.It seems like Barack Obama is slowly moving down from 2012 to 2013.I think these changes have occurred for many reasons but I think one of the reasons I that Obama says he will do big things,and now we have a huge debt kind of what Avery said. Also Obama care is messed up. The Russian president seems more powerful and means what he says. Obama seems weak to other nations. I think Forbes Magazine evaluates power by how decisive they look and weather they influence people.
ReplyDeleteI think that its very unreasonable that the changes have been this way because of the movment in place.I think the chnges have occurred because obama seems that he will do every thing right for this country but he is not doing a very good job at it.Every thing that he hes done isn't very smart of someone in charge of a big thing like his job.obom care isnt really a thing that everyone would whant to do because well I think its not right.oboma doest stand up very well.I think forbes evaluates power becaus he acually kows what he is doing with his job.He seems more powerful than oboma because he knows what he is doing and oboma isn't quit sure of what he is doing.Forbes also went to 3 to 1 in the chart.So that also shows why he is more powerful than oboma.No i do not agree.
ReplyDeleteThe changes don't really have an effect on anyone because no matter how much power someone has they still cant control you.These changes have occurred because Obama has screwed up.in his presidency.I am not saying that he has not done anything good but Obama Care is just not the right way to go.Forbes doesn't really obtain power because it is just a magazine company.
ReplyDeleteThe changes of the 2013 list and the 2012 list were not very different in terms of names. David Cameron took over the 10th seat from Michael Duke, but that is really it. The names stayed the same, but all the names, mostly political leaders, were jumping around from spot to spot so that's when it gets confusing. The people on this list were chosen out of popularity and they were mostly names that if someone said it, you could automatically picture the person. For lack of a better word: 'household names'. I think Forbes chooses these people either because of money(Bill Gates), popularity of business or entrepreneur(Michael Duke), or, if the person is a political leader, the strength of the country's economy. I do not think Forbes evaluates power, because there are Kings and Presidents that were elected by the POPULAR vote.
ReplyDeleteTo the changes to me seem confusing because I just don't get how Obama went 2 to 1. The names did stay the same in 2012 and 2013. How did the changes happen through 2012-2013 I just don't get it at all what is happening.
ReplyDeleteThe changes of the 2012 and 2013 most powerful list weren't really that surprising to me because the government and economy change, so that makes the "most powerful" people rank change. i think those changes occurred because of the economy changing. my impression of the people on the list is that they're popular in the peoples' eyes. based on what i know about these people I think Forbes evaluates these people by their money. I dont really agree or disagree because i dont know what most of these people do, and how they do it.
ReplyDeleteWhat I think of the changes is kinda crazy they occurred because Barrack Obama has made some mistakes. The impression they have on me are they are rich and popular. I really don't know really a lot about these people so I couldn't say.
ReplyDeleteI think its interesting that the two people with the biggest jumps in ranks are the leaders of two powerful communist countries. I feel the reason Putin has the top spot over President Obama is because he refused to let the U.S use military force on Syria because of their use of chemical weapons. The other communist leader from China is high on the list because China has a good economy and a large population that he is in charge of. My impression on these people is that they obviously have lots of power, have influence over more than just their own country and have lots of people to lead. I think they evaluate power by the amount of people they influence and the things they do. I think this makes sense and I agree because to be powerful you have to lead a lot of people and have influence over many things
ReplyDeleteThese questions really made me think hard. I think that the changes from 2012_2013 have been confusing. Its confusing because many of the people on the list I have never heard of. What struck me the most was that the people either stayed in their same spots as 2012 or moved off or far away on the list. I think Barrack Obama has gone down because of mistakes he has made. I also think the pope has gone up because he thinks of himself as just another dude in a popes place. My impression of the people on the list is that they are all game changers and have made a difference in the world. Based on what i know it seems to be political and economical power. I do agree.
ReplyDeleteThe changes from 2012 to 2013 were changes, of course. But everybody moved to a different spot or thet were removed from the list. People have gained and lost popularity in the list. They care about others even though some might not like them. There aren't many people from the US so I think he consideres people from other countries more.
ReplyDeleteThe changes were were unpredictable. There are some brand new people on the list but motly people just moved around. I think these changes have ocurred for a variety of reasons. I have not heard of most of these people so dont know much about them. I think forbes evaluates power from money and poltical popularity. I do not agree.
ReplyDeleteI think the changes from the 2012 to the 2013 list were pretty drastic, but for what reason? In my opinion, there is no REAL most powerful person in the world because we are divided into countries and the leaders are most powerful in their country, not necessarily the world even though there are some countries that are more powerful then others. I think the changes have occured because...
ReplyDelete#1. China is rising economically (reason for Xi Jinping)
#2.Some people have retired (Pope Benedict)
The thing is, I don't see a distinct reason that one or another has risen while others are fallen, for example, how did the CEO of Wal-Mart get there?!?!?!? That seems a little odd to me..
I think Forbes evaluates power because
#1. They get bored and need space to fill there issue of that paper
#2. You can find out who other government officials are as well as knowing more about government members of high ranked countries. I agree it is helpful.
The changes don't really suppress me. I mean I understand how Obama was at the top in 2012 and it doesn't really surprise me that he got bumped down. He didn't fulfill as many promises as we had hoped and he made the same empty promises this term. Also I understand why Pope Frances is on there, he has been so down to earth even through the undergoing of his new power. As for the people on the list, not many ring a bell when I hear there name. Based on the list, I get the impression that Forbes chooses people who have economical success, or people who have made a difference. I agree it is helpful.
ReplyDeleteI feel like with almost everyone on the list either went up in the rankings or went down.
ReplyDeleteBarrack Obama is kind of old news last year everyone liked him an this year its just like a repeat.
The Russian president probably went up because there economy did better this year.
anything can happen.
I was surprised by these results because I do not know who 3/4 of the people are! I think Obama dropped because of the whole Obama-care mess-up, and because of the debt thing. I think that Putin got up higher because he helped a lot with the Syria situation. I think that most of the people on this list are either really rich, or are leading or in charge of a ton of people. I am glad that Pope Francis moved up because I really like him, and his name :). I think Forbes Magazine bases this on popularity. I do not agree with this because I think it is all a matter of opinion.
ReplyDeleteI think the results are very confusing. I think the changes occurred because maybe the people did something that citizens did or did not enjoy. My impression on the people on this list is that I only know about 1/4 of the people. I think Forbes Magazine is just trying to spread the word on who did something and who did something that is not so great. No I do not agree because I think Forbes is just trying to get you to think, oh, well that person is the best. I do not agree with that at all because it's unfair.
ReplyDeleteI think that the changes don't really matter. I think it has changed because of what they had done in the pass such as become president or being reallocated president. My impression is that I don't think these people are really the most powerful people. I don't even know some of them. I think Forbes evaluates power by popularity. I definitely don't agree with this because I could have just as much power if I wanted.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised by the results from 2012 to 2012 because some people went up and other people went down, so I think what some of the people did other didn't like it.My impression on the list is I don't really know who the people are only a few I know. I think the Forbes bases it on who much popularity you have or if they are the best. No I don't agree with it because its not fair.
ReplyDeleteI think that the changes it the list of the most powerful people from 2012-201 are incredible because it is basically the people fight to help the other people. Such as Bill Gates, he donates a lot of his money to charities and others instead of being foolish. I think that the changes have occurred because some people have started to matter more. Like Pope Francis has grown more important because he has a say on the church, he’s not some guy waiting around for something to happen. Also Xi Jinping is the General Secretary Communist Party, China, China is the most populated country in the whole world and they make a lot of products that countries around the world buy. My impression of the people on the list is that they have a say and can make a huge impact in the world. I think that Xi Jinping is the General Secretary Communist Party, China; Vladimir Putin, President of Russia; Barack Obama, President of the United States of America; Pope Francis, Pope Roman Catholic Church Bill Gates, Co-Chair of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the US Federal Reserve; Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia; Mario Draghi, President of the European Central Bank; Michael Duke, CEO Wal-mart; And Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany; (all of the 10 most powerful people in the world) Forbes evaluates power. I don’t agree about Forbes because it is based on the business or popularity one has which isn’t really that fair. I don’t think that it is fair because what if you are the governor of Hawaii and you have been kind and have donated millions of dollars to the homeless shelters, you will still get recognized but not as much as others.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the changes matter.... who knows what they're measured by. The changes probably occurred because Obamas health care, a knew pope..ect... My impression is that they are huge world leaders and are world wouldn't be the same without them. Forbes is evaluating them by how what they run flourishes. Other than that I don't know much about the power scale
ReplyDeleteI think the changes matter because we need new people in power. If the same person is in power then we will get tired of him/her. These changes have occurred because people get tired of the same people. I do think Forbes evaluates power because wealthy people are powerful.
ReplyDeleteI think that these changes have occurred because it is the way that our world works.we get new people in power as our world grows and changes. I don't have an impression on these people because I don't know anyone on the list besides Obama. But I did recognize that all these people are leaders of countries or places.I have no idea how forbes evaluates power but I think that they must have a good reason.
ReplyDeleteThe changes, to me, are irrelevant because the decision of who has the most power is just an opinion. The changes probably occurred because of our government shutting down, Barak Obama's Health care, our innovation and people just learning new and better things in general. My impression on these people is that they are the rule makers and how you live evolves around how they think. I honestly have no idea how Forbes evaluates these peoples power.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it is that important it is a list and no one is really getting judged on it. It has changed because governments things speed up with good things and things go down with bad things it just goes up and down the list is changing all the time. By how the government is doing and how many people like that person. All you need is a good leader not just the richest guy I think every body should have a fair chance. It is a popularity contest every body just love being # 1.
ReplyDeleteI think the changes don't really matter, I think if it was a different list there would be other people and people in different order. I think these changes occurred because people get tired of some people sometimes and stop paying attention to them, also because of their governments and everything. My impression of the people on the list is that they're powerful and do a lot and can change the world. I think Forbes evaluates power by how popular the people have been and what they have done in the world. I don't really know if i agree or not.
ReplyDeleteThe changes are not crucial. Obama is going down because the Obama minions have realized that he's done nothing "big" for the last five years. I don't even know how Michael Duke got any power at all. I was shocked to see that on the list. I agree with Forbes, Obama is losing some power lately.
ReplyDelete