Indeed, those who favor government by the elite believe the elite are better fit to govern and that average citizens are content to allow them to do so. Politicians do the bidding of the wealthy instead of attending to the needs of ordinary people, and order is maintained by force. They then use this power to make decisions and allocate resources in ways that benefit them. Their wealth allows the elite to secure for themselves important positions in politics. According to elite theory, the wealthy use their power to control the nation’s economy in such a way that those below them cannot advance economically. Most are highly educated, often graduating from prestigious universities. In his book, The Power Elite, Mills argued that government was controlled by a combination of business, military, and political elites. The foremost supporter of elite theory was C.
system, with several levels and branches, has many places where people and groups can engage the government. Pluralist theorists assume that citizens who want to get involved in the system do so because of the great number of access points to government. In contrast to that perspective is the pluralist theory of government, which says that political power rests with competing interest groups who share influence in government. This belief is called the elite theory of government. Many Americans fear that a set of elite citizens is really in charge of government in the United States and that others have no influence. They claim that only a handful of economic and political elites have any influence over government. Some political theorists, however, argue that this is not the case. citizens, especially as represented by competing groups, are able to influence government actions. Many people take this as evidence that U.S.
The United States also has many different levels and branches of government that any citizen or group might approach. The United States allows its citizens to participate in government in many ways. Explain the tradeoffs perspective on government.By the end of this section, you will be able to: