How has the exercise of power changed over time?

For a transcript of this episode, click here (https://sites.mit.edu/compass/files/2025/06/Power-podcast-transcript.pdf).

In this episode, we’ll get into exercises of power and how they have changed through the ages with MIT professors from sociology and history (classical Roman history, medieval northern Europe, and early modern Atlantic capitalism).

Featuring: Susan Silbey, Professor of Sociology (host); Will Broadhead, Professor of History; Anne McCants, Professor of History; and Malick Ghachem, Professor of History.

This podcast was created as part of the MIT Compass Initiative, "21.01: Love, Death, and Taxes.” For more information about Compass, check out compass.mit.edu⁠⁠.

This podcast was recorded at the MIT AV Studios and produced by Adina Karp.