the United States as an egalitarian and classless society. In the early 1960s, however, doubt was cast on this widely held perception. While the concept of an American establishment is still not fully accepted nearly 30 years later, it, or its cousin, the concept of a power elite, is widely accepted.3
The most spirited contemporary discussions of these concepts do not emphasize the existence or non existence of an establishment or a power elite in the United States. Rather, such discussions are more likely to be concerned the definition and composition of an establishment or a power elite in this country.
2Phil Kuntz, "Privileges: Defensive Members Move to Cut Special Breaks for Congress," Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report, 2 November 1991, 3179 3181.
3R. Lerner, A. K. Nagai, and S. Rothman, "Marginality and Liberalism Among Jewish Elites," Public Opinion Quarterly, 53 (1989): 330 352.
With respect to definition of an American establishment or a power elite, some observers cling to the notion that a set of wealthy families are able to control the country, while others think that, while a power elite exists, it is actually many headed political government, corporate, military, and so forth. Still others tend to identify one single group as the power elite, such as major corporations.
With respect to composition of an American establishment or a power elite, some observers contend that ethnicity, the source of a university education, and family background are the principal criteria for entrance into the ranks of the power elite, while others contend that institutions, such as government bureaucracy, the mass media, the military, an so forth, provide the framework which defines the establishment, and that individual entry into the power elite is a function of the various institutional entrance criteria.4
Throughout American history, the actions of specific members of Congress and the media attention given to ...