Does power corrupt or does power only amplify?

There's a phrase that goes, "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." True, but I came up with another, somewhat related concept. I said, "power amplifies."

Ordinary people can do harm, but power amplifies harm. An ordinary person can shoot someone or cause a car accident while someone in power can start a war.

Ordinary people's choices in voting and the marketplace, when multiplied by the millions, can move nations. Those with the most power do have the most impact, admittedly.

I thought about the "power amplifies" phrase during high school as the Watergate Hearings were on television. One Nixon aid was testifying that he thought the crimes were like mere traffic violations. I got to thinking, then, that traffic violations can kill at a local level while those in power have the consequences of their acts amplified to greater significance.