1. PhD Sociology and Political Science - SNS
Issues on European Political elites II. The transformation of elite studies in America and in Europe during the XX Century
Luca Verzichelli
PhD Sociology and Political Science - SNS
Academic year

2. Questions
From Plato to Machiavelli … to nightly television newscaster … ask the same question:
Who rules? Who should rule?
Many people try to answer. However, when carefully examined, their profundities often turned to be incomplete and ambiguous (Putnam 1976, 2)

3. Theories The classic elite theory(ies)
The positional study of power elite (Wright Mills 1956) in USA, largely inspired by the concept of power
The study of pluralist elites, their power, legitimacy, participation (Dahl 1961)
The criticism of the “simple” pluralist theory of democracy: segmented elites, technocracy and networks

4. The nature of the elite in the Contemporary world
The elite social composition is always different from the social structure
But the elite social compositions are similar each other
Another similarity: the power of the leaders and the relationship between leader and elites look similar in the same type of political regime
Difference: distinction between the political elite and the rest of the elite
Difference: the internal differentiation of the political elite
Difference: different patterns of recruitment to the Political elite
Difference: patterns of duration and turnover

5. Putnam’s lesson: bridging long term elite transformation to macro-explanations
A classic picture of long term parliamentary elite change: the decline of nobility and the rise of party professionals (Cotta and Best 2007)

6. Female Representation
A long process of normalization?
Too much variance?
Cultural issue or a normative one?
Up to the ladder ... Still a male-dominated elite