At which level within the hierarchy of the US office do individuals aspiring to be part of it tend to be perceived as driven by a strong desire for power? (lemm.ee)

submitted 1 year ago by wtry@lemm.ee to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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A lot of people would describe people who want to be the president as people who shouldn't be president, but I've never heard someone describe someone who would describe someone who wants to be mayor as that. When does the office reach a level of influence that it begins to attract individuals driven by a craving for power?

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[-] Aidan@lemm.ee 12 points 1 year ago

In one of my 300 level poli sci classes, literally one of the first things the professor said is that in politics, everyone running for office is a power-hungry narcissist. It’s only a slight exaggeration.

That type of person is at every level of politics. I’d wager that if you could get data on the real motivations of every person who has ever run for office, you’d probably see the same amount of those people at every level, from school board to president.

[-] vd1n@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I mean it's basically the entire system... You see the same in the business and entertainment world. America is run by power hungry narcissists and built by the humble.

Viva la revolucion. Never settle.

[-] Belgdore@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

Not just America. People who want power always seek it. I have yet to see a proposed system that could eliminate the ability to gain and abuse power.

this post was submitted on 06 Aug 2023

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