The Theories of Power in Democracies

After reading “The Power Elite” by C. Wright Mills I am now even more convinced than I already was after reading Wilson’s Theory of Governance in class today that the Elitist theory is not is not how America’s Democracy is controlled today. I completely agree with Kayla and Hannah that the hyperpluralist theory is much more effective in classifying how America currently operates. Mills writes that “Religious, educational and family institutions are not autonomous centers of national power.” He in turn believes that “-the warlord, the corporation chieftains, the political directorate- tend to come together, to form the power elite of America.” While I cannot deny the fact that those three elites to have a considerable effect on law making and what not, I think that there is many other groups and people that contribute to this just as much. A great example that is also included in the article attached below is that there has been many laws set in place like minimum wage and food and safety inspections. If corporations and the wealthy held all of the power, how would that get passed? It’s also unreasonable to say that religious, educational and family institutions aren’t nearly as powerful as the “Elites” he considers so mighty. There are many interest groups involving all of those things that tend to be the most successful because those three topics are what hits home to many people and causes strong feelings. When people feel strongly about specific topics they tend not to let those go and that’s one way how hyperpluralism, which states contradictory policies result from trying to please everyone, happens. Another perfect example of this is all of the campaign finance laws we just spent a week studying. All of those laws kept changing and over lapping; one overruling another. For example, the public voiced their concerns about political campaign finance therefore policy was made to please the country as a whole. Then corporations influenced the Citizens United case which in tern created a confusing mass of over riding laws. I’m not saying that everyone has an equal voice because that would be ridiculous, but there are various groups like the wealthy, corporations, famous people, interest groups and voters as a whole that come together and effect the policy and laws created in this country. To categorize the Elites as only three types of people is the equivalent to categorizing the world into three types of people. It just simply can’t be done. Here is a short article that includes an outside opinion that I think simply states exactly how I feel: Opinions On the Three Theories