Political Outsiders Shine on TIME 100 List
With Washington, D.C. mired in partisan gridlock, the nation's political power centers have shifted outside the nation's capital to statehouses and boardrooms across the country. That migration is reflected in this year's TIME 100 list of the world's most influential people, where alongside must-mention names like President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry are Edward Snowden, Jerry Brown, and Scott Walker. The admitted National Security Agency leaker and Time Person of the Year runner-up is one of several political figures making their debut on the list. Charles and David Koch, the billionaire industrialists, philanthropists, and Republican donors, and Tom Steyer, the billionaire environmentalist and Democratic donor, earned spots on account of the growing influence of outside political campaign spending on American politics. Brown, the Democratic California governor who has worked to right his state's finances, is an established figure on the political stage but eschews the nation's capital. Republican up-and-comers like Walker, the Republican governor of Wisconsin, and Sen. Rand Paul, are both eyeing runs at the White House built on a disdain for the way business is done in Washington. And New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has built a name for herself taking on the Pentagon and other lawmakers in an effort to reform the way the military handles cases of sexual assault. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton makes the list yet again, as her consideration of a repeat bid for the presidency locks up the Democratic field and keeps the nation waiting. Maj. Gen. H. R. McMaster, the outspoken officer twice-passed over for promotion, made the list because of his willingness to challenge the military's conventional thinking. He will soon take over the Army's command focused on designing the service's future. Here is the full list of politicos and the authors of the profiles, California Gov. Jerry Brown by former California Gov. Gray Davis, Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by Malala Yousafzai, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand D-N.Y. by former New York Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, Attorney General Eric Holder by Rep. John Lewis, Secretary of State John Kerry by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, David and Charles Koch by Karl Rove, Maj. Gen. H. R. McMaster by Lt. Gen. Dave Barno Ret., President Barack Obama by Joe Klein, Sen. Rand Paul R-Ky. by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Edward Snowden by Daniel Domscheit-Berg, Tom Steyer by former Vice President Al Gore, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Mary Jo White by U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen by International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde