Napoleon's not-so-little Impact

In his time as ruler, Napoleon made a great impact on the social, economic and political systems of Europe. Some loved Napoleon, and some hate him.  Madame de Stael described Napoleon's government as having a "profound contempt for all the intellectual riches of human nature". Conversely, secondary source author P.C. Headley wrote "Napoleon was great -- intellectually towering above the princes and monarchs of many generations....He had no rival in the tactics of war". Whether or not you like Napoleon, it cannot be denied that he greatly changed Europe's social, economic, and political systems. 
First of all, Napoleon's rule impacted Europe's social system. As ruler, Napoleon abolished serfdom and nobility. This meant that poor people didn't have to be poor their entire lives. Serfs would be stuck in their social standing for life, and the nobility were in power, but Napoleon changed this. He also limited the power of the church.  Napoleon established a Meritocracy, in which people had a chance to climb the social ladder through their skills, not because of the social class they were born into. While the nobility may not have liked these changes, it was a great improvement for the poor. The poor got better access to education and property, and the wealthy no longer had power just because of their riches.
Napoleon also greatly affected the economic system of Europe. Napoleon established the Bank of France and balanced the budget of France and his other territories. He controlled prices, encouraged new industry, and built roads and canals, all of which helped the economy prosper. He also stole a great deal of wealth from Italy. 

A map of Europe under Napoleon, 1810

Source: http://www.worldmapsonline.com/images/Cram/History/europeundernapoleon.jpg

Finally, Napoleon impacted the political system of Europe. For starters, he conquered nearly all of Europe, except for England, and brought justice to many people. Marshal Michel Ney said of Napoleon's reign "The times are gone when the people were governed by suppressing their rights".Napoleon made government run better, and allowed people he conquered to continue to rule their country, only under his Napoleonic Code. This was unfortunate for them, but still far better than them being entirely overthrown. Now he ruled nearly all of Europe by controlling the existing rulers. He also gained control of all the colonies that the countries he conquered controlled on other continents. Napoleon changed Europe forever.