Elite Theory of Society

Democracy has been an important value for the American people since the founding of the nation in the late eighteenth century. However, analysis shows that the United States is not truly democratic. Rather, it is an elitist society run by the rich. In this respect, the United States should be called a plutocracy, or government by the wealthy.

The idea that the rich run America has been encompassed in the elite theory of society. Prior to the 1960's, many people accepted the elite theory as a model for American politics. However, after the Vietnam War, some writers began claiming that the elite system had died out in the United States. According to this argument, the Vietnam War was a last-ditch effort by the elite to gain control over the world. When this effort proved to be fruitless, the elite as a whole supposedly "committed suicide" by dissolving itself (Saveth, 1991, p. 44). However, Saveth argues that the elite system is still alive and well in American politics. In fact, there is evidence that elite control in the nation has become even stronger in recent years. This is particularly true in the wake of the Persian Gulf War. It is widely agreed that the U.S. victory in that battle over oil interests helped the nation to overcome its former "Vietnam Syndrome." As such, it eliminated "what had been the prime cause for the alleged elite 'suicide'" (Saveth, 1991, p. 47).

According to the elite theory, it is actually impossible for a true democracy to exist.

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eer number of appointments, corporate involvement in the shaping of government policy is extensive" (p. 143). Corporate power is strong in America because money is needed in order for most political policies to be carried out. In this regard, Domhoff claims that the corporate rich have "indirect influence over elected and appointed officials, for the growth and stability of a city, state, or the country as a whole can be jeopardized by a lack of business confidence in government" (p. 77). Domhoff further states that the failure of government officials to meet the demands of big business will generally cause "economic difficulties that will lead people to desire new political leadership" (p. 78). Proponents of pluralism often claim that the two-party system prevents any one group from holding power in America. According to this perspective, American politics is an ongoing competition between conservatism and liberalism. In the words of McKenna and Feingold (1989), conservatism is pluralistic in that it "rejects simple majority rule" and liberalism is pluralistic in that it "rejects rule by a single elite" (p. xix). However, the existence of these two competing ideologies does not guarantee against the existence of elitism i

Category: Government - E