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Overview"One of the potentially explosive issues of the modern era is a vast and growing disparity between the overwhelming predominance of elites in the decision-making process and the democratic ideal that people should participate in making decisions that vitally affect them. In this book an impressive array of political theorists offer conflicting views on the form of democratic elitism practiced in the United States. Defining the political elite as ""the power holders of the body politic,"" Harold Lasswell explains that the division into elite and mass is universal, while Robert Dahl confirms that key political, economic, and social decisions are indeed made by these tiny minorities. Paul Good man argues that we are now in a period of excessive centralization that he regards as ""economically inefficient, technologically unnecessary, and humanly damaging."" From another standpoint, Herbert Marcuse calls for a struggle against the ideology of tolerance husbanded by the political elites in this country and Jack L. Walker contends that elitist theory has provided an unconvincing explanation of the widespread political apathy in American society. As the events of recent decades vividly demonstrate, a growing number of people refuse to recognize elite rule. This many-sided work puts before the student a variety of strongly held opinions regarding the place and function of the political elite and its power. The wide range of authoritative articles makes Political Elites in a Democracy a most useful addition to every course in political science that touches on the subject of elites and political power." Full Product DetailsAuthor: Peter BachrachPublisher: Taylor & Francis Inc Imprint: AldineTransaction Dimensions: Width: 15.60cm , Height: 0.90cm , Length: 23.40cm Weight: 0.204kg ISBN: 9780202363462ISBN 10: 0202363465 Pages: 182 Publication Date: 30 January 2010 Audience: College/higher education , Tertiary & Higher Education Format: Paperback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: In Print This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us. Table of ContentsReviewsAuthor InformationPeter Bachrach is professor emeritus of political science at Temple University. He was a member of the selection committee of the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Foundation and Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Greater Philadelphia. In addition to numerous articles in scholarly publications, he is the author of numerous books including Problem in Freedom, The Theory of Democratic Elitism: A Critique, and Power and Empowerment: A Radical Theory of Participatory Democracy. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |