Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us

Date: Tuesday 18 January 2022 About the lecture: Does power corrupt, or are corrupt people drawn to power? Are entrepreneurs who embezzle and cops who kill the result of poorly designed systems or are they just bad people? Are tyrants made or born? If you were suddenly thrust into a position of power, would you be able to resist the temptation to line your pockets or seek revenge against your enemies? To answer these questions, Brian Klaas draws on over 500 interviews with some of the world’s top leaders—from the noblest to the dirtiest—including presidents and philanthropists as well as rebels, cultists, and dictators. Combining those interviews with the latest social science and scientific research, Klaas explains why the phrase "power corrupts" is just the tip of a far more complex iceberg. About the speaker: Dr. Brian Klaas, Associate Professor of Global Politics at Faculty of Arts and Humanities, UCL