The Power Elite

“These hierarchies of state and corporation and army constitute the means of power; as such they are now of a consequence not before equaled in human history—and at their summits, there are now those command posts of modern society which offer us the sociological key to an understanding of the role of the higher circles in America.”

Power is exercised through institutions, which connect leaders with historical events. Through these institutions, the modern elite make the consequential decisions for society. The institutions have interlocking ties and interests; military and corporate decisions, for example, are often mutually beneficial.

“Families and churches and schools adapt to modern life; governments and armies and corporations shape it; and, as they do so, they turn these lesser institutions into means for their ends.”

The economic, governmental, and military realms drive events and make history. Other institutions are transformed by decisions made in these realms. Schools, for example, appease corporate interests by changing their curricula to train individuals for business careers.

“Today, to remain merely local is to fail; it is to be overshadowed by the wealth, the power, and the status of nationally important men.”

The elite power players of the US operate at a national level. As corporations have increased in size to service national markets and, in the process, put local providers out of business, the leaders of the economy, the military, and the government have also made those operating at the local level inconsequential.