Throughout human history, power has been held by only a few people.
However, there was always a fight toward an equal distribution of power.
First, it was the growth of the traders and artisans, which created a middle class and the beginnings of a capitalist economic system.
Next, the democratic rebellions spread through the Americas and Europe. Speeding up the process in the last twenty years was the proliferation of the Internet.
This distribution of power effected not only international relations but the interactions between college students and their institutions.
Large powers, like the United States, now consider smaller players.
During the Cold War, both of these superpowers often played out their tensions on an international backdrop. This led to American and Soviet interference in Cuba and Afghanistan.
Today, this is clearer.
In “The End of Power,” a book about changing power structures, distinguished fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Moisés Naím, mentioned the group of Al-Qaeda, which developed in Afghanistan.
In the Syrian crisis, President Obama and European leaders didn’t know which of the rebel groups were close to the West and which were allied with Al-Qaeda.
These smaller players are also becoming evident in the international playing stage overall. Naím mentioned the BRICS countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — are becoming major players, and this was never more evident than at the Paris climate conference.
The U.S and Europe were major players in leading the charge against carbon emissions. India, China and developing countries in Asia and Africa had to comply.
This caused ambassadors to find a compromise for more countries, not just the major players, giving the smaller nations more power.
The power of smaller players is never more apparent than in universities.
In “The Coddling of the American Mind,” Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt highlight the power that students have over their school’s curriculum and policies.
Minority groups are using their influence to change course curriculum in English literature and law classes.
It is unclear how this will affect the quality of education, but at the very least it shows the power they can have on their institutions.
Power is redistributed from the few to the many.
Whether it is in national policy, environmental affairs or in universities, this trend is prevalent and stark. Power or control is being moved in this world.
However, it has never been as prevalent as today.
npatwari@indiana.edu
