Theories of Power AP GoPo

Elite & Power Elite Elitist Theory: Persons who possess a disproportionate share of some valued resource (money, prestige, expertise) – Class view: Emphasis the power of rich leaders of corporations – Karl Marx  People with economic control hold the power – Max Weber  Bureaucracy (developed in industrialized society) runs like a machine out of the public view Power Elite Theory: American democracy is dominated by a few top leaders, many of them wealthy or privately powerful, who do not hold elected office – C. Wright Mills  People with economic/political control, military leaders hold the power It’s a relatively small group of people & they all know each other

Pluralist Pluralist Theory: Idea that political resources (money, prestige, expertise, access to mass media) have become so widely distributed that no single elite, no social class, no bureaucratic arrangement, can control them – Argued that there are so many governmental institutions on the US that no single group can dominate them or the political process

Hyper-Pluralist Hyper-Pluralist Theory: Idea that so many different groups of people hold power that no one’s really in charge. – Means that there’s no chance for real legislation to happen