criticism of elite theory

The essays contained in this dossier develop this working hypothesis by ambitioning to explore the full potential of elite theory, both by applying the historically-situated conceptual framework to contemporary phenomena and by conducting further inquiries into the actual contents of elite theory developed by some of its prominent authors. They also spurned what they took to be his democratic faith in the ultimately decisive influence of the most numerous, the labouring class. The problem of this conception is that, in reality, it divides political power (Idem, p. 158), something that is, by definition, non-sharable. Where does their power com from? THERBORN, Gran. PUTNAM, Robert D. (1976), The comparative study of political elites. When the aristocratic tendency prevails, rapid shifts occur in the composition and structure of elites (e.g., social revolutions). Elite Theory: Philosophical Challenges, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11245-022-09794-1. The Free Press, New York, Mosca G (1939) The ruling class. The basic normative question underlying elite theory is whether the relative power of any group ought to exceed its relative size. With their interpretation of the universal suffrage as an exercise in hypocrisy, the elitists have been considered by Albert Hirschman a perfect example of the rhetoric of futility, one of the three main arguments typical of what he called the rhetoric of reaction (the other two being the perversity and the jeopardy theses) (Hirschman 1991). BIRNBAUM, Pierre. There is not much doubt concerning the fact that the structure of capitalist society creates several limits to the decisions, strategies and room for action of the political elites. The basic characteristics of this theory are that power is concentrated, the elites are unified, the non-elites are diverse and powerless, elites' interests are unified due to common backgrounds and positions and the defining characteristic of power is institutional position.[2]. 1 / 6. power elite theory was developed by sociologist C. Wright Mills, in his book he was very critical of American democracy and he argued that in reality there was a class of military, business and political leaders driven by mutual interest that constituted the power elite. These problems could only be resolved, according to Poulantzas, in a realm of theoretical Marxism, or at least what Poulantzas deemed theoretical Marxism to be. The Elite's give a few crumbs to the masses to keep the people hopeful of the future. This third question is, in sum the question of "representation": whether political, bureaucratic, and scientific elites represent themselves (their own interests) or social class interests. In fact, Poulantzas is correct regarding three important points: There is no doubt that elite theorists, both classic and contemporary, criticize Marxism based on a caricature - a very crude one at that - of what this theory often portrayed as is made to be. The rule of the elite is based upon (not-necessarily explicit) force and fraud. Palavras-chave: Marxismo; Teoria das elites; Teoria social; Nicos Poulantzas; Anlise de classe. Great attention has been paid in the last few years to the contraposition between people and elite, perceived as a fundamental character of the populist discourse. Whichever direction is taken, its power can derive both from the control one group has over relations of production, and as the control of the state apparatus itself (which can cumulatively assume control of economic power). CZUDNOWSKI, Moshe M. These formulations, stresses Poulantzas, not only do not avoid escaping determinism - a common accusation aimed at Marxism - but also restore in its explanations economic overdeterminism (Idem, p. 158-159). In fact, classes have always acted through "mouthpieces," that is, through parties, unions, civil associations and other institutions capable of speaking on behalf of classes. These two tenets are ideologically allied but logically separable. The concept of class or hegemonic fraction would supposedly identify the class that is systematically benefited by state policies, regardless of whether or not this class or fraction is a collective political agent able of organizing itself effectively (as the "ruling class" in the political scene, for example). Could it be used now to counter, from a liberal-democratic point of view, the populist drift? How does, on its turn, Marxist political theory, according to Poulantzas, conceive of the question of class dominance and also the question of the state bureaucracy? In contrast, the Pluralist model suggest that the power is distributed among interest groups that compete to control public policy. Yet I believe that The Power Elite survives better as a work of social science than of social criticism. The central question for classical pluralism is how power and influence are distributed in a political process. He was an American social conflict theorist. So Paulo, Companhia das Letras. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Este artigo contrape-se s proposies sobre poder, classe e dominao poltica de classe elaboradas por uma vertente particular do marxismo - o marxismo estruturalista -, por meio de um dilogo crtico com um de seus autores paradigmticos: Nicos Poulantzas. (1984), Los Estados y las revoluciones sociales. He posited a structural-functional approach that mapped hierarchies and webs of interconnection within the citymapping relationships of power between businessmen, politicians, clergy etc. Texas Tech transfer Kevin McCullar is a do-it-all glue guy. As discussed above, Poulantzas sought to resolve the problem of the relationship between agents of the state (the political and/or bureaucratic "elites") and the political domination of a certain class or fraction based on the conjugation of two concepts: "ruling class" and "hegemonic class (or fraction)." [10] This macro-scale analysis sought to point out the degradation of democracy in "advanced" societies and the fact that power generally lies outside the boundaries of elected representatives. "4 The class in charge (which generally is inaccurately designated the dominant political class) is the social class which controls and administrates the centers of power within the state apparatus - and not the one which actually holds political power (Idem, p. 165). Another inescapable topic is the question of belonging to the class of state bureaucracy. The final essay combines the contemporary-focused approach of the first four essays and the historically-charged approach of the following three essays by focusing on a specific national experience: elite recruitment in Italy from 1919 to 1994. (1970), "The capitalist State: reply to N. Poulantzas". [11] This type of analysis was also used in later, larger scale, studies such as that carried out by M. Schwartz examining the power structures within the sphere of the corporate elite in the United States. Polybius (~150 B.C.) However, there is the possibility, for instance, of a class of fraction in the bloc of power that does not necessarily have its own party-style organization or that does not make itself present in the political scene in this way; a class or fraction of a class can disappear from the political scene yet continue to exist in the power bloc; there can possibly be a class of hegemonic fraction in the political scene that is different from the class or hegemonic class in power bloc; "the ruling class or fraction [] [in the political scene] can not only not be [the class of hegemonic faction], but can even, at times, be absent from the power bloc" (Idem, p. 76). Updates? Poulantzas emphasized that the criticism the elitists inveighed against Marxist theory either refer to or are an outcome of "poor interpretations of Marxism." PERISSINOTTO, Renato & CODATO, Adriano. Revista Brasileira de Cincia Poltica, vol. It regards Marxism as an ideology rather than an objective analysis of social systems. The social structure is sustained by a political formula that typically correlates with a generally accepted religion, ideology or myth. The first mistake made by the elitists was to suppose that Marxism assumes that there is an "empirical concentration of all the political functions in the hands of the politically-economically dominant class," being that power exercised, in practice, by "members of this same class" (Idem, p. 155). Both Mosca and Pareto tried to translate the simple, almost obvious, observation that all organised societies consist of a vast majority without any political power and a small minority of powerholdersthis was the object of a true science of politics, that is, to understand how the political class recruits itself, maintains itself in power, and legitimates itself through ideologies (Hirschman 1991, p. 52). The main goal of the elitists was to demonstrate that universal suffrage would have changed very little, if anything. It is sometimes forgotten that later revolutionary ideologies held fast to the classic form of normative elitism, even borrowing the Platonic language of guardianship. etc. "Elitist pluralism," represented by Dahl and Schumpeter, for example, is based on a factual assessment: the upper strata of different social groups (politicians, bureaucrats, union leaders, entrepreneurial leaders, etc.) Published 1 June 1966. Giovanni Damele. 2 Poulantzas was not, to be sure, the only one to deal with these theoretical problems in the Marxist camp. The problem then turns out to be how exactly to detect the relationship of representation of class in day-to-day political struggle, yet without resorting to the "key that opens all doors" of the "objective functions" of the state or the "intrinsic logic of the mode of production.". In his book Reflections on the Revolution in Europe,[17] Ralf Dahrendorf asserts that, due to advanced level of competence required for political activity, a political party tends to become, actually, a provider of "political services", that is, the administration of local and governmental public offices. Even if democracy is just one possible political model which legitimises the ruling class and its power, as classical elitists maintained, the adoption of one or another model is not without consequences for the members of non-elites. It follows therefore that it is possible to diminish or simply ignore the debates, issues, methodological advances and conceptual innovations of non-Marxist sociology and political science and whatever else is not useful or does not contribute towards the overcoming of class-based society. This implies several consequences, the least of which is the risk of sliding into the "ideological" terrain of the opponent. These elites then seek to influence politics by 'investing' in the parties or policies they support through political contributions and other means such as endorsements in the media. ", and not "who decides?" "Class" can only be constituted as an analytically fruitful concept if we abandon for good the idea that it acts directly in politics. C. Wright Mills is counted among prominent social thinkers of twentieth century. Mots-cls: Marxisme; Thorie des lites; Thorie sociale; Nicos Poulantzas; Analyse de classe. _________. (1975), La crise des dictatures: Portugal, Grce, Espagne. Guttsman, 1965; Keller, 1971; Carvalho, 1980; Czudnovski, 1982; Perissinotto; 2000; Hunt, 2007; inter alia). The outlook of the Italian school of elitism is based on two ideas: Pareto emphasized the psychological and intellectual superiority of elites, believing that they were the highest accomplishers in any field. It may seem surprising at first to evoke authors such as the Italian Vilfredo Pareto and Gaetano Mosca and the German Robert Michels, the founding fathers of classical elitism, regarding debates that are frequently interpreted as concerning the need for more and better democracy. _________. Less attention has been paid to the other element of the contrapositionthe elite. Sociologiska Institution Gteborgs Universit-("C.Wright Mills and his sociological vision About his views on power and methodology and science. BOBBIO, Norberto. The theory of elites is largely known as a critique of the Marxist theory of a dominant class and an attempt to refute the hypothesis according to which political power or, more appropriately, "the political resources of the dominant class" is derived from their economic power - or, to be precise, "the possession of economic resources" (Saes, A major problem, in turn, is the ability of elites to co-opt counter-elites. He was, however, the one to most explicitly and conscientiously step up to the task of dealing with this issue in theoretical realm. The second mistake is a sequel to the first one. Rio de Janeiro, Zahar. Strongly influenced by political realism and, in a broad sense, positivism, both Mosca and Pareto sought to establish political science and sociology as objective sciences that made use of empirical methods. The best statement of the basic objections usually made is Schumpeter, Joseph, Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy (New York, 1942), Part IV Google Scholar. Paris, Mouton. Burnham J (1943) The Machiavellians. Is it worthwhile to give up trying to understand and discuss a gamut of certain political events - which tend to be the majority - just because they do not fit in what is considered essential from the structural point of view (assuming that "structural" refers to all things that have to do with the reproduction of the mode of social production)? ", Lerner, R., A. K. Nagai, S. Rothman (1996), Milch, Jan, (1992) . Populist leaders present themselves as strong opponents of the elites. The famous iron law of oligarchy, advanced by the German-born Italian political sociologist and economist Robert Michels, was more systematic: instead of merely positing the inevitability of elite domination, Michels tried to explain it by reference to the peculiar organizational features of modern politics, undoubtedly influenced on that point by the German sociologist Max Weber. The first four articles delve into the relevance of certain aspects of elite theory for analysing problems faced by contemporary liberal democracies. Defendemos que, ao contrrio do que sugere Poulantzas, a introduo do conceito de "elite" no interior do marxismo terico pode ser produtiva para o desenvolvimento dessa perspectiva de anlise social, tornando a abordagem classista da poltica operacionalizvel cientificamente. As Burnham pointed out, there are real and significant differences in social structures from the point of view of the masses; these differences cannot be properly evaluated in terms of formal meanings, verbalism and ideologies (Burnham 1943, p. 166). In the fourth and final section we suggest a few conditions if we are to resume (or in fact inaugurate) the dialogue between elitism and Marxism, pondering what should be preserved or discarded from the sociological critique the latter addressed to the former.2, Power, class (dominant) and bureaucracy. In this regard, a quick reading of the typology of political classes set forth by Mosca can help overcoming what can be politely called a misunderstanding (1939, p. 53-60). DeKalb, Northern Illinois University Press. Perspectives on Politics, 12(3), 564-581. doi:10.1017/S1537592714001595, Polybius. New Left Review, 138: 37-55. Elite Theory Paris, Seuil. Pluralism (political theory) 19 languages. An elite may influence one field but it cannot influence all the fields. The power bloc can ultimately express itself in the political scene through party alliances or even through direct confrontation between parties (Idem, p. 76). Milton was admired by John Adams, the American revolutionary, and in the 1780s James Madison and Alexander Hamilton defended the new institutions of the U.S. Congress and the Supreme Court precisely as good guardiansprivileged agencies more capable of serving the peoples interests than the people themselves. This frame of reference allowed Gaetano Salvemini to adopt a competitive theory of democracy (very close to the one developed later by Joseph Schumpeter in the seminal work Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy, which first appeared in 1942) in his article Democracy and Dictatorship, which came out in 1934 when he was professor of Italian Civilisation at Harvard University. Highlighting the significance of internal tensions within each thinkers work, between the causal primacy of psychic states and the mutual dependence of social factors (Pareto), and between the elite principle and balanced pluralism (Mosca), Jackson develops the hypothesis that the sceptical liberal Pareto or the democratic elitist Mosca elude Urbinatis unpolitical, populist, and plebiscitary disfigurations of democracy. Their wealth allows the elite to secure for themselves important positions in politics. The historian of modern India, Gyan Prakash, points out that the subaltern studies project derives its force as postcolonial criticism from a combination of Marxism, post- structuralism, postmodernism, Gramsci and Foucault, the modern West and India, archival research and textual criticism. Hence, it is a mistake to argue that any elite theoretician cannot identity the "true" basis of political power. volume41,pages 15 (2022)Cite this article. Refraining from assuming them to be the demiurge of these two worlds does not require us to see elites as mere puppets of structural determinants. (1971), Mas alla de la clase dirigente. Di Giulio, in turn, carries out the view that Pareto and Mosca, despite their deference to a positivist epistemology, significantly anticipated a sort of epistemological realism unsympathetic to linear notions of causality embedded in contemporary social sciences. In his book The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom, published in 1943, James Burnham made the then-astonishing claim that classical elitists were not necessarily anti-democratic. referred to what we call today Elite Theory as simply "autocracy". Londres, MacGibbon & Kee. (2007), Poltica, cultura e classe na Revoluo Francesa. According to Hirschman, the assertion that any society, regardless of its political structure, is always divided between the elite and the non-elite was tailor-made [by classical elitists] to prove the futility of any move toward true political citizenship via the franchise (Hirschman 1991, p. 51). The inevitability of elite rule could not be taken for granted, however, as attested by the fact that ancient, medieval, and early modern political writers undertook a constant struggle against rule by ordinary people, or democracy, which was often equated with the absence of order, or anarchy. Marxismo e elitismo: dois modelos antagnicos de anlise social? Both Karl Marx (1883) and C. Wright Mills (1956) are famous for their views on the . The cohesion of the social group who composes this new political group is conceived of distinctly (and erroneously) by Mosca, Michels, Meynaud, Wright Mills - either in terms of a unifying center, or in terms of the ascension of a new social group (the "administrators"), or, not least, in terms of the domination of one elite in particular over others. editors. This is the well-known stance taken by C. Wright Mills, for example (cf. It seems evident that the concept of political power, in the case of structuralist Marxism, describes the production by the capitalist state of government policies capable of reproducing class structure (or "the structure of domination") of capitalist society. Rio de Janeiro, Campus. And finally there is the question of the relationship of political and economic power: in Marxist terms, how to think of complex links between the political (level) and the economic (level)? Cet article s'oppose aux propositions sur le pouvoir, la classe et la domination politique de la classe labors par un volet particulier du marxisme - le marxisme structuraliste -, au moyen d'un dialogue critique avec l'un de ses auteurs paradigmatiques: Nicos Poulantzas. Briefly put: the state apparatus is where power is exercised from; state power is power that is detained by dominant classes and fractions who benefit from decisions taken by the state. MILIBAND, Ralph. What is more, the neo-elitists will argue that the transformation of capitalist system since the mid twentieth century (the separation between property and the means of production, effective social mobility among groups, the decentralization of government functions, the transformation of individuals into a "mass," the new roles taken on by state bureaucracy and so on) rendered obsolete the idea of a class that is at once politically and economically dominant. C.Wright Mills och hans sociologiska vision Om hans syn p makt och metod och vetenskap,. This lack of importance, however, is an arbitrary derivation of certain theoretical postulates, and not the product of historical, empirical analysis which prove them. In this stud wily I worl okn the classic elite theories Pareto', namels y Circulation of Elites Mosca', s theories o Rulinf g Class, and Michels' theory of Iron law of Oligarch anyd I will not ge intt o neither the subject of Power Elite nor elites roles in today's societie particularls iyn developing countries. An elite may influence one field but it cannot influence all the fields. Evidently, all three dimensions together - action, "spiritual" affiliation and social precedence - render proof of the existence of "class representation" even more convincing. Braslia, Editora da UnB. (i) The problematic of the agents of power and the source of power can only be resolved within the theoretical realm of Marxism. RUBEL, Maximilien. They then argue that recognition of celebrity epistemic power can be a valuable resource for supporting the legitimacy and practice of democratic elitism, though these benefits carry certain risks to which elite theories are particularly vulnerable. Overly preoccupied with the "subjects" of power, the elitists are incapable of thinking the state as an institutional structure (agents, apparatuses, roles, center of power, etc.) The assumption that every investigator which chooses political elites as an object of study is doomed to commit the sin of formalism is not accurate. Hunter examined in detail the power of relationships evident in his "Regional City" looking for the "real" holders of power rather than those in obvious official positions. They are the wealthiest people in the country. His main contention is that the logic of distance inherent in liberal democracies should be strengthened as a mechanism for improving democracy via elites, in contrast with the views that promote democracy only by eliminating the ontological gap between those who rule and those who are ruled. Understanding Marxism as a strand among many others within the social sciences implies submitting its own postulates to empirical testing, accepting certain premises of rival social theories and incorporating - with or without modifications - some concepts in order to advance scientific research. Although this complicated equation, intelligently deduced by Poulantzas from Marx's analyses of European nineteenth-century politics, might correct the more simplistic views of the political phenomenon (and, by extension, many simplifying views of Marxism as whole), it does not nevertheless account for certain phenomena that are exclusively political or that can be reduced - or deduced from - class analysis. In this setting, Salvemini adds a novel dimension to the futility thesis. Thus, we never know for sure the place and function of the state apparatus and its operators, the "state elite" in the reproduction of social and political domination. 5 The ideas presented next sum up a much broader discussion published in Perissinotto and Codato (2009, forthcoming) and in Perissinotto (2007). The empirical assumption behind the defense of elite rule at the time was the unequal distribution of the finest human traits. They tend to explain political phenomena and the power of elites based only on factors internal to the political universe. In the fourth essay, Alfred Archer and Amanda Cawston tackle an interesting phenomenon in the dynamics of certain representative democracies that resonates with elite theory: the involvement of celebrities in politics. Mills published his book The Power Elite in 1956, in which he claimed to present a new sociological perspective on systems of power in the United States. This is power in the strategic sense. defenders of freedom. However, this distinction between the rhetoric of legitimation and true motives needs to be related to a more significant and fundamental social division: the one between the ruling class and the ruled (in Moscas terminology) or between the elite and the non-elite (in Paretos terminology). There are at least three questions to be dealt with in this regard. . Paretos Law and Michels iron law of oligarchy conspire (indirectly and directly) against any attempt at establishing a government of the majority.The contemptuous attitude towards purported change and progress induces Hirschman to include the futility thesis in the conservative camp. [7], In The Semisovereign People, Schattschneider argued the scope of the pressure system is really quite small: The "range of organized, identifiable, known groups is amazingly narrow; there is nothing remotely universal about it" and the "business or upper-class bias of the pressure system shows up everywhere". Democratic systems function on the premise that voting behavior has a direct, noticeable effect on policy outcomes, and that these outcomes are preferred by the largest portion of voters. Like Schumpeter, Salvemini insisted on the dynamic dimension of elite theory; at a first level, a vertical dynamic between elites and non-elites allows the former to be tendentially open to external members; at a second level, however, a horizontal dynamic creates the conditions for competition between different elites. This sort of epistemological surveillance would also be more efficient in correcting "errors," "deviations" and inherent flaws within Marxist theory insofar as there would be a lesser need to resort to other intellectual traditions. Antonio Campati offers next a reflection on what he calls a weakening of the liberal-democratic link between the minority principle and the democratic principle in relation to the theory of elites. ; ii) is this connection simply instrumental, in that the latter controls the former? Criticism has been defined by various authorities is given below: According to Pareto: Elite consists of those successful persons who rise to top in every occupation and stratum of society; there is an elite of lawyers, an elite of mechanics and even an elite of thieves. The fact that other Marxists incorporated some of the issues and concepts of elite theory - Miliband, Bottomore, Domhoff, for example - reveals that this statement is, to say the least, debatable. The firm conviction that Marx is right about (a) the false consciousness caused by capitalism and (b) the inevitable failure of capitalism due to its internal contradictions can breed a form of elitist thinking that can become very manipulative. The concept of elite (or "political class" or "oligarchy" and so on) was notably borne out of the explicit objective of refuting the concept of class as a little or non-workable theoretical notion. In fact, several studies show (for example, Codato, 2008; Fausto and Devoto, 2004; Skocpol, 1984; Putnam, 1976; Perissinotto, 2000), that often the choices made by the political elites can help us understand the configuration and evolution of a certain political formation, as well as the processes of maintenance or destabilization of the social order. Legitimation may not necessarily be strategical or even conscious since human beings have a spontaneous inclination to cover their actions irrational (and frequently egotistic) motives with the varnish of ex post and apparently rational justification. elite theory, in political science, theoretical perspective according to which (1) a communitys affairs are best handled by a small subset of its members and (2) in modern societies such an arrangement is in fact inevitable. Yet I believe that the power of elites ( e.g., social revolutions ) of which the! 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