The Study of American Government Chapter1: The Study of American Government

Democratic Centralism A form of democracy in which the true interests of the masses were discovered through discussion within the Communist party, and then decisions were made under central leadership to serve those interests.

THOUGHTS ABOUT POLITICAL ELITES

Karl Marx government is a reflection of economic forces, primarily ownership of the means of production. The economic structure of a society shapes its politics and determines political outcomes. Proletariat v. Bourgeoise

Elitist C. Wright Mills Power Elite View elite - An identifiable group of persons who possess a disproportionate share of some valued resource elitist theory - A theory that a few top leaders make the key decisions without reference to popular desires.

Bureaucratic View Max Weber bureaucrats - Appointed officials who operate government agencies and large corporations

Bureaucratic View bureaucratic theory - A theory that bureaucrats make the key governing decisions. According to this theory the influence of government bureaucracies has become so great that elected officials are almost powerless to affect policy.

Pluralist View pluralist theory - A theory that holds that political resources are divided among different kinds of elites, giving relevant interest the chance to influence the outcome of decisions. Policies are made by conflict and bargaining among organizations that represent affected groups.

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