Week 14: Who Has the Power?

During our reading this week, we were asked to discuss which theory of democracy, described in Chapter 14, rings truest today: Democratic Elitism, Pluralist Theories, or The Power Elite.

Democratic Elitism sounds about right, because it is hard for decision-making to occur in such a large society, with each citizen weighing in on each law. So, it just makes sense that we hire or vote for people we trust or believe in to make the day-to-day decisions, and step in occasionally to make the big ones – like who our leaders should be. However, when I was growing up, I always heard of our society referred to as a “Republic” in this context and I find it interesting that I have yet to read that word in this chapter. The two-party system is concerning, because I do believe that there is strong support for Independent and Green party candidates, but “strong” support is just not enough. It needs to be overwhelming enough to enter into a race against the two other parties.

Pluralist theories can also explain our government. Lobbyists represent interest groups and spend their days on Capitol Hill meeting with lawmakers to make sure their groups’ opinions are heard. My brother-in-law is actually a lobbyist in the health care field and he makes lobbying seem like a very noble profession. He lobbies for Physical Therapists (PTs) and Certified Nurse Midwives (CNWs). He makes sure that PTs and CNWs have the same rights and benefits that other, more established health care professionals have. I do believe that the pluralist theory fits, but I don’t think it is the whole picture.

I actually really like how the theory of The Power Elite is described in our text. It just seemed “right”. I think a lot of how I feel stems from being married to an Ivy League graduate with an MBA who now runs a bank. But it is so true. The only way he got his job is from the contacts he has met along the way. It’s all in the networking. That’s the only way to get a job at the highest levels these days. No filling out employment applications and going in on blind interviews. At the top, people know each other or know about each other. Yes, sometimes in America, if you know the right people, you can end up in highly powerful positions.

In conclusion, I do think that The Power Elite fits the bill as far as this assignment goes, but I also think there are hints of Democratic Elitism and Pluralism tossed in.