189 | Brian Klaas on Power and the Temptation of Corruption

<p>All societies grant more power to some citizens, and there is always a temptation to use that power for the benefit of themselves rather than for the greater good. Power corrupts, we are told — but to what extent is that true? Would any of us, upon receiving great power, be tempted by corruption? Or are corruptible people drawn to accrue power? Brian Klaas has investigated these questions by looking at historical examples and by interviewing hundreds of people who have been in this position. He concludes that power can corrupt, but it doesn’t necessarily do so — we can construct safeguards to keep corruption to a minimum.</p><p><em>Support Mindscape on&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.patreon.com/seanmcarroll" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Patreon</em></a><em>.</em></p><p>Brian Klaas received his D.Phil. in Politics from the University of Oxford. He is currently Associate Professor in Global Politics at University College London and a columnist for&nbsp;<em>The Washington Post</em>. His new book is&nbsp;<a href="https://bookshop.org/books/corruptible-who-gets-power-and-how-it-changes-us/9781982154097" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How it Changes Us</em></a>. He is host of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.powercorruptspodcast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Power Corrupts podcast</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="https://brianpklaas.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Web site</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/european-international-social-political-studies/people/dr-brian-klaas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">UCL web page</a></li><li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/brian-klaas/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Washington Post columns</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Klaas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Brian-Klaas/e/B01ENBZT1Q%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="