Structures of Power -
Notes
Political Science
Copyright © 2014-2023 TestBook Edu Solutions Pvt. Ltd.: All rights reserved
Download Testbook App
Structures of Power- Elite theory
Introduction
According to elitist theory, power is concentrated in a small group of people known as
elites, implying that ordinary people or the common man are incapable of handling
power.
It underlines the existence of conflict between ‘the elite’ and ‘the masses’.
The Elite Theory tends to divide society into 'excellent and 'ordinary' people who are
placed in different positions.
The elite theory treats this division as somewhat natural and functional.
They regard competence and aptitude to be responsible for this division.
Elite theory is a state theory that seeks to describe and explain power dynamics in
contemporary society.
According to them, Power with the masses is a myth. The concept of elites is not
incompatible with democratic theory.
The elitist scholars place little emphasis on the substantive aspects of democracy, instead
focusing solely on the procedural aspects.
Thinkers of the Italian School of Elitism
The elitist theory of power started with the Italian School of Elitism which involves scholars
such as Vilfredo Pareto, Gaetano Mosca, and Robert Michels.
SUBJECT | Political Science 1 of 6
Download Testbook App
Vilfredo Pareto
Pareto was an Italian Sociologist, in his book “The Mind and Society” (1916) he presented
his theory of elite rule.
According to Pareto’s Circulation of Elite theory, political system power always circulates
among the elite section only.
The class that who is ruling currently would be called governing elites and the class of
elite want to take over the power would be called Non governing elites.
Lion (Brave leaders) and sometimes Foxes (Clever leaders).
Gaetano Mosca
Mosca in his book ‘The Rulling Class’ (1939) analyzed the elitist theory.
He divides the world into two groups:
SUBJECT | Political Science 2 of 6
Download Testbook App
1. Political Class: a relatively small group of activists that is highly aware and active in
politics, and their national leadership is largely drawn.
2. Non-Political Class: Masses who play no significant in the Political system.
Elites are an organized minority
The masses are an unorganized majority.
Organizational skills were especially useful in gaining political power in modern
bureaucratic society.
Robert Michels
He was a German-born Italian Sociologist.
He wrote a book “Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of
Modern Democracy” (1911).
Michels did an elaborate study of different types of Political parties and their structure
and after that, he came to the conclusion that Oligarchy (Rule by Few) is prevalent in
every kind of political party.
Robert by his ‘Iron Law of Oligarchy’ presented that all complex organizations, regardless
of how democratic they are when started, eventually develop into oligarchies.
Hence, whether a country is democratic or communist, power will always get
concentrated in the hands of a small section of elites, oligarchy is the iron law.
Joseph Schumpeter’s Elitist Democracy
Joseph presented an elitist perspective of democracy in his work “Capitalism, Socialism
and Democracy” (1942).
According to him, democracy is neither a government of the people nor a means of
putting the will of the people into action; rulers are a different set of people than the
common people.
The people's role is reduced to selecting their rulers from competing elites.
He argued that political decisions are made by the 'leadership,' not by the people and
that there is free competition among the leaders for people's votes.
However, unlike other forms of government, democracy does not allow political
leadership to wield absolute power.
SUBJECT | Political Science 3 of 6
Download Testbook App
Theory of the masses - Ortega y Gasset
José Ortega y Gasset was a Spanish philosopher and political thinker.
In his work “The revolt of the Masses” (1930) he presented the concept of Theory of the
masses.
He propose that the 20th-century society as dominated by masses of mediocre and
indistinguishable individuals, who he proposed should surrender social leadership to
minorities of cultivated and intellectually independent men.
He defends the values of meritocratic liberalism reminiscent of John Stuart Mill against
attacks from both communists and right-wing populists.
Ortega likewise shares Mill's fears of the "tyranny of the majority" and the "collective
mediocrity" of the masses, which he believes threaten individuality, free thought, and
protections for minorities.
Ortega characterized liberalism as a politics of "magnanimity.“
Wright Mills
Wrote a book called ‘The Power Elite’ in 1956 in which he talked about the systems of
power, class alliances, and relationships existing within the United States.
He calls the Power Elite a triumvirate of power groups—political, economic, and military
—which form a distinguishable, although not unified, power-wielding body in the United
States.
He, in other words, talks about the degradation of democracy in advanced industrial
societies wherein the power generally lies outside the boundaries of elected
representatives.
SUBJECT | Political Science 4 of 6
Download Testbook App
William Domhoff –
In his book Who Rules America? first published in 1967, G. William Domhoff researched local
and national decision-making process networks seeking to illustrate the power structure in
the United States. He asserts that an elite class that owns and manages large income-
producing properties (like banks and corporations) dominates the American power structure
politically and economically.
James Burnham –
In his book, The Managerial Revolution (1941), Burnham talks about how the real functional
power is in the hands of the managers rather than the political representative or businessman
with respect to control and ownership.
Robert D. Putnam –
He wrote a book called Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community
published in 2000.
In this book, Putnam talked about the crisis of social capital in the US since the 1960s.
He argues that Americans are no longer interested in any one-to-one social interactions,
debates, or deliberations which at point used to enrich the American life and its social
fabric.
In other words, Putnam talks about the decline in active political engagement of the
citizens, that in turn has severely affected the democratic character of the State.
He also talks about the increased distrust that has erupted against the govt. in American
society.
Putnam uses bowling as an example to illustrate this.
SUBJECT | Political Science 5 of 6
Download Testbook App
Elite Theory: Thinker, Key Concepts & Books
Thinkers Book Key Concept
Vilfredo Pareto Mind and Society Law of circulation of elites
Theory of Optimality
Gaetano Mosca The Rulling Class Political Class & Non-Political Class
Robert Michels Political Parties: A Iron Law of Oligarchy
Sociological Study of the
Oligarchical Tendencies
of Modern Democracy
C. Wright Mills The Power Elite Three power elites – Political Elites,
Economic Elites & Military Elites
James Burnham The Managerial
Revolution
Robert Putnam Bowling Alone Social Capital
SUBJECT | Political Science 6 of 6
