If I can capture what you are saying here, you are asking if power truly corrupts the holder in-charge?
Well... Power can be bestowed in different aspects but all aimed at the goal of bringing expected impact's.
Power is the ability and the capacity of doing greats.
It could be as follows...*Power of speech (authority)
*Power to lead (leadership)
*Physical power (muscular)
*Educational power (knowledge)
* Monetary power (money)
*Invention & technology (creativity).
Now power can be ordained or bestowed, either by appointment or by election or even by possessions.
It now depends on its perspective looking at to bring or posseses the abilities and capacities to build a solid wall or laying reliable and productive bricks either by exercised of power oby authorities, power of leadership, muscular power, monetary power or by creativities to be ascertained for the benefits of an individual or others.
This has reminded me of a thread I previously created titled "Too much power in on man's hand".
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/m.62609003So looking at it in an overview, I think you are pointing at power when it has to do with the others (public).
If I must sum up to this with experiences of things going on in the societies today where a man holds a multiple portfolios or in position to ascertain a superintendent authority with the lack of capacities and abilities to exercise it's power with wisdom, POWER has been a bigotry, selfish interests and threats to the societies.
The above recent listed Powers has been a tussle (corruption) for the oppressors of oppressions across the existence of humans with it's negative effects in the societies where forces and supremacy is accorded by vulnerability depending on its failure to ascertain the abilities and capacities to deal with others cordially according to a wellbeing