Making Change Through Influence

In Eric Liu's influence talk, he recognizes the importance of recent political events. Though the pro-Trump and pro-Sanders contingents in the US population were essentially antithetical to one another in terms of political ideology, the two groups actually had a lot in common. They both represented previously marginal voices in the world of US political influence gain traction and clout. Liu's influence talk investigates how that came to pass.

To continue looking through the lens of the recent US primary and presidential elections, making use of influence is more than simply recognizing en masse that those in power aren't living up to their promises. It also demands understanding power. For Liu, power is defined in basic terms: it's the capacity of one person or party to make other people or parties behave in a certain way. While that might sound malevolent, it is a natural aspect of social interrelation, and it's only an issue when considered in the political power structure.