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Thursday, February 21, 2019

Power of the Few Essay

The three expressions to be tackled by this essay discuss the presence of a situation selected, a margin coined by author C. Wright mill. The articles talk ab stunned how the mightiness elite emerged and existed, who comprises it, and demonstrate to prove why these mint ar, in accompaniment, the few who hold military group in America. The first article is C. Wright mill The Power Elite wherein he argues that the power of the elite is non derived from their individual attributes but from three societal institutions, specifically the economy, politics, and the soldiery, where power is actually concentrated (332). To support this argu custodyt, Mills points out that on that point atomic number 18 extraordinary men who ar heads or are in command of major social structures and are in the spatial relation to make decisions that will pass great consequences affecting society (332). He goes on to point out that veritable(a) if these men do not make decisions or act for th eir institutions, such is actually an influencing act in itself (332). And who are these men who govern the three major institutions of society?They are the wealthiest, most celebrated, most powerfulwith resources of men, women, and moneyand mass media focused on them (336). Mills then interprets two points of view regarding the existence of powerful elite those who do not believe that power elite exists and those who believe that it exists moreover because historic situations show that decisions are being made but the medium and ordinary citizen did not make that decision (333). However, Mills then argues that there are institutions that do in fact unite the decisions made and the historical events that show those decisions (334).And even if one will argue that society is too ruled by religious, educational and familial institutions, Mills concedes that although these institutions are present and working in society, they are unsloped but the means of the Brobdingnagian thre e1 to legitimize its power and decisions (334). In fact, Mills argues that if the smaller institutions do not go about the path laid down by the broad three, then the big three mint always do something to modification the structure of smaller institutions so as to fit their plans and decisions (334-335).In the turn back, Mills wraps up his article with the conclusion that there are those extraordinary men in the three biggest influential institutions in society that dictate its line of descent and that although they are not solitary rulers (333), it is scarce through them that power can be more or less continuous and important (336). And these men are so powerful that their wills are followed and realized even if others bear it (336). The second article is Diversity in the Power Elite by Richard Zweigenhaft and G. William Domhoff, wherein the authors concluded that power elite is more than a set of institutional leaders (338). The authors attack the view of C. Wright Mills t hat society is not pluralistic and that it is controlled totally by a handful through a explore on whether the three major institutional hierarchies have become change over the years since Mills theory. And the answer is yes. The authors research showed that the power elite have been diversified through the presence of more women and minorities (339).The research go on shows that although there is diversity in the powerful, there are many things that have not changed. For one, the core group of the elite is still predominantly Christian white males and many groups that contributed to diversification remain underrepresented (339). Two, high social origins detain to be a distinct advantage and those who are able to come home the major institutions play the game according to the rules that have been followed since time old (339).Lastly, the acceptance of diversity was only a result of pressure from activists and feminists (339). The article further discussed that although there w as diversification in the power elite, the diversity only ends with the gender or race of the person. In fact, diversity strengthened the power elite even more because it held the same values and perspective as those who are already in power (340). In the end, diversification did not disprove the existence of the power elite, as enunciated by Mills, but only expanded its membership. The last article is by Louis Desipio and Rodolfo O. De La Garza entitled always Seen as New Latino Participation in American Elections wherein it proposes that the increment importance of the Latino electorate in American elections is a result, not of Latino mobilization, but of following an Anglo pattern where the more educated and economically advantaged are the ones who vote (346).The article presents the impediments to a more active Latino electorate being adolescent, less well-educated, low incomes, and not being American citizens (343, 344). These impediments have been remedied in some manner by the emergence of new cadre Latino elites and new institutions comprised of young and well-educated Latinos (345). This new cadre exposes Latino issues which enable politicians to address them with more knowledge (345). As a result, although development in Latino amour will be slow, the new cadre will prove to be influential as it is the voice of the Latino community. With the three articles read and analyse side by side, the most and key concept is power elite. Mills defines the power elite as the ingress of societal power and bring in a few. It is often comprised of the highly educated and wealthy batch who occupy high posts in either the economic, political or military institutions.The article of Zweigenhaft and Domhoff proves that although there is a move to further diversify the power elite, there is still only a handful who dictate the draw of society as the newcomers hardly have proposed major changes, and in fact settle for playing the game the way the power elite ha s play it ever since. The article of Desipio and De La Garza is not any different since it discusses the concentration of Latino electoral participation in the young and well-educated. At the end of the day, Mills concept has expanded but not altered in any way. With the three readings main theme of power in the few, I was awakened to the possibility that there really might be just a few people who are running our country through the economy, politics, and the military. I realized that family, education and religion are not even major powerhouses but do play some role in putting the power elite in their positions. Those who are wealthy and had the luck to graduate from ivy-league and other elite schools are perceived as the people who know a lot and could probably make the right decisions for the country.As a result of this thinking, they are placed in positions that take the refuse actions for their institutions. But I cannot entirely concede that that diversification has not chan ged anything in the power elite and that the newcomers have not changed anything in society. Gender and racial issues are core agenda in society today although it must(prenominal) be noted that minorities are still that minorities. It is still the rich, the smart and the pop who are in a state of power and influence. How else can you discharge Arnold Schwarchenegger winning the gubernatorial seat?1 Economic, political and military institutions

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