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?
I think that Obama went down in the list because the US hasn't been too active in the world lately. People such as Pope Francis have just been elected and caught the world's attention, and they have more influence right now. Everybody on the list is either a member of government or CEO of a rich company. Forbes gives power to the people that common people listen to and follow. If Obama decides on something, people will listen to him, but if I decide on something, the nation won't listen. That is an example of influence and power. I agree on how Forbes ranks power in the world.
ReplyDeleteI think that Obama is not first because he was blamed for the government shutdown. I think that the people are up in the poles because they are leaders of countries with a lot of money. I think that Forbes looks at what the country has done while the person was in power.
ReplyDeleteI think the changes between the 2012 list and the 2013 list are not very big because they are mostly the same people just rearranged. I think these changes were made from government shut downs, war, and elections. My impression of the people on the list is that they deserve to be on the list. I do agree because these people have put in a lot of work to keep things in tact.
ReplyDeleteThe main differences that I see are between Mr. Putin and Obama. The reason I think Obama went down is because he got us 17 trillion dollars in debt. (no biggi) The reason most people that are on that list is because there not exactly really powerful (they are) but the have more influence than power. I believe Forbes looks for growth of he country the amount of praise they get and how they interact with the world. I believe that this list is a good source and an accurate source as well.
ReplyDeleteI think it's weird how Vladimer Putin went up 3 people's and now the most powerful man in the world. I wasn't surprised when I saw Barak Obamas name on there because he plays a big role in the world. I think Russia's economy had changed and that kinda pulls him up more. I would of thought that the pope would be down in the list but then again he does kind of rule a vast majority of people. I think the people that you hear about more often are the ones with more power. If their country is well known then maybe they would have a bigger role in power.
ReplyDeleteI think that Obama went down because his popularity is kinda down right now because of the debt and government shutdown. I guess it makes sense that Putin has climbed power easily - Russia is huge people! I think that Forbes did a good job in placement of power. All power really is is how much influence you have on people and how much money you have. Take the Pope for example: he is getting a lot a positive attention due to his humble and gracious, Christ-like attitude towards people. I would say this list is accurate and trustworthy.
ReplyDeleteThe changes on the list from 2012 and 2013 are not a significant change. Most of the people on the list for 2013 are the same for 2012 just in a different arrangement. I think the reason Obama has had a change in spots is because he has gotten the U.S. in debt (trillions of dollars). Most of these changes I believed occurred is because of social media and elections. Word gets around on twitter and things like that, with famous people having power they are able to show it on social networking sites. Looking at the list, I would of thought that the pope would have been lower on the list. But thinking more about it I remembered that the pope rules over a pretty big amount of people. I personally think Forbes ranks people not on just their power but their recognition from the world. I do agree with how Forbes ranks these people.
ReplyDeleteI think that since the United States is kind of not active in anything big thing at the moment that we went down in the rankings. All the people on the list are the most oviuose choice becuae they have made big discoveries or are famous. I don't agree because everyone is mouse for something
ReplyDeleteNo one on the list has stayed in the same spot from last year. This is because some people have really put themselves out there in their displays of leadership, and been in the world spot light more than in previous years. Also with world economies fluctuating and world powers changing, power has also began to change. It seems that Forbes evaluates power by economy, popularity, and media influences. Yes, I agree with Forbes. It seems to be an accurate look at the power shifts in the world.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that everyone has moved. But they have only moved by one of two spots. I also noticed that Barak Obama is still one of the most powerful people only behind Putin. I think that they have changed because the people that have moved up are the people that have risen their countries or their power to higher standards. My impression is obviously that they are VERY powerful and that they are in charge of a lot. I think they do this because they want to give people an idea of who are the most powerful people and why they are what they are. So I agree with Forbes
ReplyDeleteI think it's very good that our pope has moved up. He has been doing so great at running the church. I also think that Obama's spot should have moved down by more than one spot; he's not doing very good at running the country, right now. But that's just my opinion. I only recognize four people on the list: Barak Obama, Xi Jinping, Pope Francis, and Vladimir Putin. My impression of them is that they are working really hard, but Obama isn't doing as well. Based off of the 2013 list, the most powerful people are the equivalent of the most well-known people. I think that's appropriate, since you tend to have to be pretty powerful to be well known.
ReplyDeleteI don't know it is amazing that power thoughts could change in 365 days. News have probably changed the people opinion on the power because of fire power or the ability to give orders. I don't really keep track of the leaders and I really don't like any of them other than pope fraces. Don't really know my thoughts are blank.
ReplyDeleteThe changes from 2012 to 2013 aren't too big just the names in order are rearranged. I think these changes occurred because of the government shutdown,elections and social media. Word will get around through the social networking sites and people might change their impressions. Looking at the list, I was surprised to see Bill Gates on the top ten most powerful people in the world. I didn't know that he was really that powerful in our world. I agree with Forbes because these people worked hard to get where they are today.
ReplyDeleteThe changes from 2012 to 2013 aren't a dynamic change. The names are only re ordered probably because of what the leaders or people have done in the past year. Also, they have changed because of their actions. Word spreads fast over the internet and social media, causing people to believe whats on MSN or Twitter or Yahoo is true and change their opinions. I wasn't surprised to see Obama ranked second on the 2013 list because people blame him for the government shutdown, and how he has gotten the U.S. into major debt (trillions and trillions of dollars). I think Forbes ranks people on their power and popularity in the world. I do agree with Forbes and how they rank people because those people worked hard to get to that level of success.
ReplyDeleteThe changes from 2012 to 2013 aren't really big changes. A lot of the people just moved up, except for Obama. I think that Obama is now number two because he has been blamed for the government shutdown and the huge debt that we are in. I think that these changes have occured because of the widespread of the internet and because of what all of the people have done in the past year that have effected them in a good or bad way on the list. I do agree with Forbes because, like Grace said, these people have worked hard to be powerful and to be on the list.
ReplyDeleteI think that since Obama was blamed for things like the government shutdown and the large debt of the U.S. he got moved down the list. It seemed that the most recent events really caught peoples attention, like the election of the Pope. Due to people moving down people who's stories were interesting but didn't cause lots of problems went up. It seems that great leaders need to set better examples for their people. Giving that the people worked hard to get on this list and their position varies...i do agree with Forbes.
ReplyDeleteI think it's weird how Vladimer Putin went up 3 people's and now the most powerful man in the world. I wasn't surprised when I saw Barak Obamas name on there because he plays a big role in the world. I think Russia's economy had changed and that kinda pulls him up moreI think that since Obama was blamed for things like the government shutdown and the large debt of the U.S. he got moved down the list. Which is wrong and people need to get it write. Government shutdown, in American politics, refers to a temporary halt in government services when lawmakers cannot pass the necessary funding measures in time. Which has nothing to do with obama.I think it's very good that our pope has moved up. He is a huge part of the world and should be at like 4th. "Obama went down is because he got us 17 trillion dollars in debt." Said Emile. Stupid, The debt was huge when he started you tightwad. sure it has gone up, but when george bush was president its not like he started a war or that he bush added 4.98 billion dollars and obama has added 4.39 billion. Power should not be determined by a magazine; so no i don't agree with Forbes
ReplyDeleteThe changes are not that big its the same top ten just different people in each spot. I think those changes have occurred because power shifts a lot in the World. Vladimir Putton is becoming more and more of a humongous power in the world, so I am not surprised by that. The Forbes magazine takes a lot of people that are have a lot of money because they are president or Ceos, but some such as Pope Francis has been getting a lot of attention because he is humble and gracious. They evaluate to the people who have the power to make a change in the World. I agree because whoever is making the biggest impact in the place they are in that is how they should be judged.
ReplyDeleteI think that Obama has a good reason to be in the top three of the power rankings because all leaders need power. But what suprised me is why the pope was not among Obama last year. After all the pope is the head of the catholic church right?He should have been higher in the power rankings, this year I totally get why they put Poe Francis at the top with Obama and Putin. But I agree with Forbes because when you work hard you get power, when you get power you get put to the top of the power rankings.
ReplyDeleteThe changes from the year 2012 to 2013 aren't that big, just the names from 2012 are rearranged this year in 2013. I think these changes have occurred because of the United States government shutdown and Russia is gaining more power. Every year, Russia is recovering more and more from the fall of the Soviet Union and this year, because of the government shutdown the U.S.A. hasn't had much time to make progress with all the things that we have had to deal with. Therefore, Barack Obama moved down because of that. The people on the list are not that surprising, but some things are. For example, Pope Francis just got elected as the new pope and has been listed the fourth most powerful person due to the things that he has done to make our world a better place. Forbes evaluates power on the people in our world who have made a difference and have impacted us. I think they do this so that the people who are reading the magazine realize that these are the people who the world is looking up to. I agree with them because the people that they have published as the 72 most powerful people are really the most powerful people; they didn't just make up the 72 most powerful people based on what they thought. That is what I think about the 72 most powerful people.
ReplyDeleteThe CEO of Walmart wasn't on the list of 2012
DeleteThe changes from the year 2012 to 2013, I think the government shutdown in the United States has a big impact on the change. Also it has been a slow year and there were not many big decisions or changes in the US, also money is the one of the big deciders in power. Money and popularity is a big effect on the scale, also what the people think of your skills as a ruler.
ReplyDeleteOut of the top ten most powerful people between 2012 and 2013, no one has stayed in the same position. I think these changes have occurred, because countries get bigger, and leaders get more powerful. Some people may not be doing as much as they were doing last year, and therefore moved down on the list. Forbes could evaluate power by how much they are doing for their country, what position they are in, what they are allowed to do, what ranking they are considered among the people, and how they influence people. The Pope is an example; he is the patriarch of the Catholic Church. He is looked up to as a leader. That is part of why he has risen up to #4 on the world’s most powerful people list. I agree with this list, because each person on the list has done something to earn the attention of people.
ReplyDeleteOf the top ten most powerful people in 2012 and 2013 no one has stayed in the same spot. I think it changes because the countries get larger and people can become more powerful and also they can be over ruled by other people. Also our government shut down and more countries had a chance for their rulers to become more powerful. Forbes magazine is attracted to people with money but like the pope he gets so much attention from being so inspirational and so many people follow and agree with him. That's why he has slid to #4 on the worlds most powerful people list. That being said I do agree with Forbes Magazine. :)
ReplyDeleteIn the list of the most powerful people in 2012 and 2013, the same people have been moved to different spots, and the Walmart CEO, Michael Duke, replaced prime minister of United Kingdom, David Cameron. These changes have occured because some of these people have attracted more attention, moving them up. For example, Pope Francis has been gaining a lot of attention, and Barack Obama hasn't. All of these people are world leaders or have a generous amount of money. Forbes made the decision to put these certain people on the list based on what they have done for a group of people that need it. I do agree, since the people listed have worked hard amd earned it.
ReplyDeleteI think that the people on the list are just the same people but just moved around. I believe that these changes have occurred because of social media and the election I the world. I think that all of the people on the list should be recognized and they all deserve it. I do agree of how Forbes ranks people.
ReplyDeleteI think that the reason President Obama went down was because he has not had a lot of action in the last year, he also is being questioned by many people because he might not be keeping his promises. I do not know anything about President Putin but I am guessing he has been making many changes in Russia that the people like, or the people like the way he does his work. I also understand that Pope Francis went onto the chart. The reason I understand this is because many people really like him and the news that has been about him is very very moving and good.
ReplyDeleteI think it is weird that Obama was in 2nd place. I think he should be the top ten in both years, but he should be number 1 in both years instead of just 2012. I think it happened because of the government shutdown. I think all of these people are people with a big influence on other groups of people. I think Forbes ranks people by how much influence someone has. I do agree with how Forbes rates people.
ReplyDeleteI think that the changes are reasonable. I think these changes have occurred because of the amount of influence they have on the people. My impression is that these people have done great things to earn their place of power. I think it evaluates power on the amount of influence these people have I agree because if you can influence the people to be on your side then you have power. People have the power
ReplyDeletethere wasn't that big of a change of people they were just moved around. Most of the changes were made because of the government shut down, war, and elections. My impression of the people on the list is that they earned their spot on the list and have to work hard to keep it. The people on the list have to work for every vote. It was not a gift because they will earn it.
ReplyDeleteMost of the people were not changed, they were just moved. I think that Vladimir Putin became the #1 most powerful person in 2013 because he is the president of Russia, a huge country. He is also kind of a dictator. I think that pope Francis became the 4th most powerful person because he became pope this year and he is the leader of the whole catholic church. I do think that Forbes evaluates power properly because I do think that the people on the list are very powerful, but some of them might be taking advantage of their power and using it in bad ways.
ReplyDeleteThe change in people was not very big. I think that the changes that were made were because new people were put into position to be in power. The people on the list I think are on that list because they work hard to be in power. I do agree with how Forbes evaluates the people in power.
ReplyDeleteThe changes from 2012 to 2013 aren't really big changes. A lot of the people just moved up, except for Obama. I think that Obama is now number two because he has been blamed for the government shutdown and the huge debt that we are in. I think that these changes have occurred because of the widespread of the internet and because of what all of the people have done in the past year that have effected them in a good or bad way on the list. I do agree with Forbes because, these people have worked hard to be powerful and to be on the list.
ReplyDeleteI think that the list of important people are very similar from 2012 to 2013, however, the president had dropped some due to the fact that he is ruining our country and our health care system. The pope is very high because he is the ruler of the Catholic churh. It is hard to evaluate who is important, and I think Forbes bases his decision on popularity, rather than importance.
ReplyDelete