Read more about our list—how we define "power" and why we omitted Barack Obama—here. Some choices—and omissions—may be controversial. Good. Tell us who you think we snubbed, who we placed too high or too low, and who we ranked just right in the comments below. We want to know, really. Knowledge, after all, is you-know-what.
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Story by Jeff Bailey, David Bernstein, Cassie Walker Burke, Marcia Froelke Coburn, Claudine Isé, Geoffrey Johnson, Esther Kang, Ted McClelland, Kevin McKeough, Penny Pollack, Dennis Rodkin, Jeff Ruby, Chris Silva, Lena Singer, Bryan Smith, Jennifer Tanaka, Jennifer Wehunt