9. Diana Farrell
National Economic Council Deputy Director
Last year's rank: New
A possible successor to Larry Summers, Farrell provided the intellectual heft for the administration's Wall Street reform push. She ran point on the auto industry bailouts and is poised to steer the coming debate on housing-finance reform.
NEXT: Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor
Last updated September 29 2010: 11:28 AM ET
