Everyone is talking politics these days, but what politics means depends on who’s doing the talking.

According to one definition, politics is simply the art or science of government. It’s also the way in which people influence governmental policies. Taking it a step further, it’s the accumulation of control over government – or, to sum it up, power.

With that final definition in mind, we take up our annual ranking of the most powerful people in New York City politics.

It’s not an easy task, so we’ve established a few criteria to guide us.

One is a political figure’s track record: What bills has a lawmaker passed? What policies have aides or advocates shaped? What programs have deputies run, and how effectively?

Another criterion is the importance of any group that someone serves. The mayor of New York City has faced challenges in Albany, but he still runs a government serving more than 8 million people. Elected officials, commissioners, business executives, lobbyists, labor leaders and journalists all represent constituents, clients or customers – and with that responsibility comes some degree of power.

Finally, we take into account proximity to power – New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s evolving inner circle, top appointees to both the mayor and the governor as well as key outside advisers who have the ear of a small handful of influential elected officials.

RELATED: The 2017 NYC Power 100

As we applied these principles, we reached out to trusted sources, reviewed news developments and debated where each person ranks on this list.

We present the 2018 New York City Power 100.