The top 100 most influential people in government and politics in 2010

Published December 14, 2009

Influence can be defined in simple terms as determining who leads as opposed to who follows.

Political insiders say "influence" means the "ability or opportunity to persuade, motivate or guide those with power." Others say it's the "ability to have your voice heard in the right places to potentially play a part in shaping outcomes."

Whatever the definition, there's no denying that influence, especially in official Ottawa,...