Given the gradual course of history of the United States, C. Wright Mills' theory of centralized control by a power elite has become prevalent today in American politics. According to C. Wright Mills, "the interlocking [policy, military, and economy] is clearly revealed at each of the points of crisis of modern capitalist society - slump, war, and boom. (Mills, pg. 83)" Given that one of the most important principles of politics is the consequence of history, the rise of centralization of power can easily be seen through a quick glance over the events of the 19th and 20th centuries. .
The Industrial Revolution of the 19th century is unarguably the greatest leaps in production of all time, in which the economy of the United States of America grew to unprecedented proportions. Before this technological leap, most businesses were run by local entrepreneurs in local areas, and even if one area went completely bankrupt, the national economy would not be affected in the least bit. This allowed for minimal government and military intervention in such affairs. However, because of this event, many corporations soon took on the role of national and even international businesses. If such large factors in the national economy were to go bankrupt, it would have devastating effects on thousands of workers who would be left unemployed. This such event occurred in the 1930's, known as the Great Depression.
The Great Depression, which followed the crash of the stock market in 1932, was the first major occurrence in which the government was forced to intervene nationally in order to save the ailing economy. President Roosevelt enacted one of the largest extensions of government ever known to this country, creating many programs we know today such as welfare, social security, and public service projects. Although Roosevelt's New Deal plans brought the United States out of depression and employed thousands of people, it would be impossible to be completely rid of the big government institutions in which he created in a small amount of time.
The Power Elite by C. ... Ordinary men have enhanced the "power elite". ... The power elite existed then, in the time of Mills, and it exist today. As a matter of fact, there has always been a power elite, of some sort, since the beginning of mankind. ... If it is power/wealth, and desire to be a part of the power elite, and materialistic expectations are a driving force, that too may be a possibility....
Wright Mills' theory of centralized control by a power elite has become prevalent today in American politics. ... This buildup not only improved the economy by keeping contractors in business after World War II, but vastly increased the power of the US government and its military supremacy compared to other civilized nations. American history can be summed up as the development of highly focused power in the hands of the societal elite. In the 19th century, the United States experienced an economic boom that it couldn't handle with the balance of power weighing in favor of the st...
In William Domhoff's view, a power elite exists in the United States. ... The power elite is bound together by their common upper class values. ... This power elite has the money and the power and is able to hold the positions which give them opportunities to get more of each. As Mills puts it, "to have power requires access to major institutions" ( The Power Elite). ... There is a power elite because there has to be. ...
Bodley argues that as societies grew in scale, the power within that society was almost completely delegated to the elite class or ruler, and thus elite-directed growth is not a change that benefits society, but that it is and was mandated for the purposes of increasing the elite power and imperia. 2. ... Both it and power are closely related, for power and wealth are derived from the ownership of material goods and the ownership of a large labor force that the elite could tax. ... Certain elites could become elite, or close to it, by reducing their impurity through a series of ritual...
At Cahokia, the access to resources was controlled by the elite. ... The elite with the greatest control over resources, objects of cultural desire and the apparent ability to communicate with the supernatural make up the ruling elite in the American Bottom. ... The society's elite roles are usually assigned at birth. ... In Cahokia, political and religious power are so similar that the chief and his family are looked at as godly. The chief's power is mostly decided by their reputation. ...
Elitism The elitists disagree with the pluralists and argue that in the political system, the political process is controlled by a power elite. ... This outline of the power elite gives all the power to the political elite (and to their subordinates), but Prewitt and Stone also take into the consideration another notion of a ruling elite: The Corporate Elite. Mills in The Power Elite did talk about the corporate elite, but Prewitt and Stone pick up this subject, quote the critics of this idea and analyse the changes in American economics to emphasise the role of such elite in power. ... Po...
There was no single reason for Hitler's rise to power. ... Germany was an opportune place for Hitler to come to power. ... At this point businessmen and the elite saw Hitler as a politician who would not hold up business. To ensure his success, big businesses and the Elite in Germany supported Hitler financially. ... The elite had now also realised that they no longer needed to support the weak Republic. ...
The corporate class designates those with high authority and power in major corporations. ... The level of inequality, the power of elites, how inequality is maintained, among many other aspects of society, are all influenced by political ideology, religion, family systems, or, more generally, culture (Kerbo, 2003, p.78). ... Thus the elites make concessions to their authority for the sake of efficiency, and these concessions have resulted in greater rewards for subordinates. ... With production increasing and a more stable population, there is much more to divide between both the elites and t...