This document provides an overview of topics covered in a Political Science course on the US government, including theories of elitism and pluralism. It discusses key concepts of elitism such as society being divided between the powerful elite and weaker masses. The elite share common values and goals of preserving their power while allowing for some upward mobility. Pluralism is also summarized, noting society is divided into numerous groups competing to influence policy through bargaining and compromise. Theories of elitism and pluralism are compared. The document also covers related topics like propaganda, information flows, and spheres of influence.

1. Dr. Tabakian’s Political Science 1
US Government – Spring/Fall 2014
Week #3

2. COURSE LECTURE TOPICS
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The Irony Of Democracy
Elites and Masses
Democracy and the Survival of Democracy
Elitism Being The Most Realistic
Elite Theory Supporting Upward Mobility
Defining The Elite Consensus
Elitism And Public Policy
Mass Behavior And Mass Threats
Pluralism In A Democracy
Elitism Versus Pluralism

3. ELITISM
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Elitism does not promote elite rule
The rules of a society obstruct social progress of masses
Elites are needed due mass ignorance and apathy
Elites have two main goals
• Preserve and enhance their positions of power
• Masses open to demagogues
• When the economy is doing poorly
• The country is fighting a war that it is losing
• Demagogues come from the far left or far right
• The Founding Fathers were against national referenda

4. ELITISM SUMMARIZED - 1
1. Society is divided between the powerful few and the
majority weak.
2. Governing few are not typical of the governed masses.
Elites are not drawn mostly from the upper class
socioeconomic section of society.
3. Non-elites have to be given the opportunity to rise up to
elite positions. The masses have to believe that the
process is continuous or revolution may occur. Barriers
prevent finite elite positions from being overtaken by
unqualified individuals. This is a rat and cheese scenario.
Sufficient Cheese
Sufficient Cheese
Lack Of Cheese

5. ELITISM SUMMARIZED - 2
1. Elites share a common belief on the basic values of
the elite. Any change of public policy will be
incrementally slow rather than revolutionary.
2. Elites may base their actions either on narrow, selfserving motives and risk undermining mass
support, or they may initiate reforms, curb abuse,
and undertake public-regarding programs to
preserve the system.
3. Active elites are not typically influenced from
apathetic masses. Elites influence masses more
than the masses influence elites.

6. ELITISM SUMMARIZED - 3

7. ELITISM / INFORMATION FLOW - 1
• Information flows from opinion elites down to opinion
leaders who are looked to the public for information
• News is first “created” by opinion elites and then sent to
opinion leaders to help disseminate the information
• Those at the very top of the elite network decide what
information is deemed as necessary to offer society
• These elites may be news makers themselves or in charge
of large media corporations
• Opinion leaders may be thought of as journalists, news
anchors, expert pundits or even celebrities who possess
legitimacy among those in society.

8. ELITISM – INFORMATION FLOW

9. MANIPULATION EXAMPLE
How
can
we
protect
ourselves against the threats
of germs and toxins? Cold
War America gears up to
fend
off
threats
from
unconventional bioweapons.
This is another example of
how propaganda is utilized to
foster fear within society.
Enjoy the video.

10. MIRROR MYTH – 1
• News media outlets “decide what will
be decided”
• Bias is exhibited throughout the
mainstream and nontraditional news
sources
• The news media stress that they are
nonbiased since they only reflect
reality

11. MIRROR MYTH – 2
• Their choice of news
subjects proves their bias
• All news is biased

12. CINEMOCRACY
Various forms of propaganda have
been utilized to drum up mass
support to better assure elite
legitimacy.
Cinemocracy,
the
relationship
between
motion
pictures and government is one way
governmental elites sell their
agenda. Enjoy this classic cartoon
where “Popeye The Sailor Man”
battles the Nazis.

13. POPEYE VERSUS THE NAZIS

14. PROPAGANDA – CITIZEN BASED
Technological advancements have
empowered common citizens with
creative minds to produce their
own propaganda. “The War On
Terror” sparked a great deal of
media distributed via the Internet.
Elites no longer maintain total
control over distribution. Many
citizens may deem these video as
offensive. Keep in mind that
propaganda is meant to produce
an “Us” versus “Them” mindset.
Does this video have any impact
over your belief system?

15. DIPLOMACY

16. PLURALISM & SPHERES – 1
• Pluralism insures that groups are restricted from single
handedly influencing public policy
• cross-cutting cleavages would form, as groups seek
compromise with others to build coalitions that would
succeed in affecting change
• Minorities are protected from an overwhelming majority
• Majority power-holders are essentially “checked”
• Cross-cutting cleavages balance against overwhelming forces

17. PLURALISM & SPHERES – 2
• Pluralism insures that groups are restricted from single
handedly influencing public policy
• cross-cutting cleavages would form, as groups seek
compromise with others to build coalitions that would
succeed in affecting change
• Minorities are protected from an overwhelming majority
• Majority power-holders are essentially “checked”
• Cross-cutting cleavages balance against overwhelming forces

18. PLURALISM & SPHERES – 3

19. PLURALISM SUMMARIZED – 1
1. Society is divided into numerous groups with all making
demands on government while none of the participants are
able to dominate all decision-making.
2. Citizens do not directly participate in decision-making, but
they are able to vote for leaders to make decisions through
a process of bargaining, accommodation, and compromise.

20. PLURALISM SUMMARIZED – 2
3. Competition among leadership groups helps protect
individuals’ interests. Countervailing centers of power – for
example, competition among business leaders, labor
leaders and government leaders – can check one another
and keep each interest from abusing its power and
oppressing the individual. Each of these individual
“spheres of influence” allies themselves with other spheres
that possess similar goals. See “Spheres Of Influence”.
4. Individuals may not participate directly in decision-making,
but they can exert influence through active participation in
organized groups, political parties and elections.

21. PLURALISM SUMMARIZED – 3
5. Leadership groups are open; new groups can form and gain
access to the political system.
6. Political influence in society is unequally distributed, but
power is widely dispersed. Access to decision making is
often determined by how much interest people have in a
particular decision. Because leadership is fluid and mobile,
power depends on one’s interest in public affairs, skills in
leadership, information about issues, knowledge of
democratic processes, and skill in organization and public
relations.

22. PLURALISM SUMMARIZED – 4
7. Multiple leadership groups operate within society. Those
who exercise power in one kind of decision do not
necessarily exercise power in others. No single elite
dominates decision making in all issues.
8. Public policy does not necessarily reflect majority
preference, but is an equilibrium of interest interaction –
competing interest group influences are more or less
balanced, and the resulting policy is therefore a reasonable
approximation of society’s preferences.

23. ELITISM VERSUS PLURALISM – 1
1. Elitism asserts that the most important division in society is
between elites and masses.
2. Elitism emphasizes the importance to leaders to maintain
their position of power – Pluralism emphasizes this devotion
to their group interests.
3. Elitism asserts that mass membership of organizations
rarely exercises influence on elite leadership. That these
organizations have no democratic processes and are
controlled by leaders who operate for their own self-interest.
Pluralists offer no evidence that the giant organizations
represent the interests of their individual members.

24. ELITISM VERSUS PLURALISM – 2
4. Elitism takes into account of all power holders – private and
public. Pluralism focuses on governmental leaders and
those who interact directly with them.
5. Elitism emphasizes shared characteristics of leaders on top
of their interest in preserving the social diversity among
leaders, differences in backgrounds, ideologies, and
viewpoints. Pluralism also argues that decisions made by
leaders are a product of their role perception, institutional
constraints, interest group pressure, public opinion, etc.
Elitism focuses on leadership consensus – Pluralism
focuses on elite conflict.

25. CINEMOCRACY
“Hemp For Victory” is a classic
example of Cinemocracy. This
government propaganda film
made during WWII touted the
virtues of hemp. The film was
aimed at farmers at a time
when the military was facing a
shortage of hemp. It shows
how hemp is grown and
processed into rope and other
products. Why do you think
hemp was later vilified?

26. HEMP FOR VICTORY

27. SPHERES OF INFLUENCE
• Competing spheres of influence
protect minority rights against
majority factions
• Alliances will form among once
competing spheres in order to
“check”
another
sphere
or
individual elite base that acquires
too much power
• Individual spheres of influence are
always on the alert for one of their
peers assuming too much power.

28. COMPETING SPHERES
• Competing Spheres of Influence
essentially check each other within
the political system
• This is essential for the protection
of minority rights especially as it
pertains to majority factions
• Elites are those who hold positions
of power in society
• Our Founding Fathers considered
the protection of minority rights as
those few individuals who retained
control over society

29. TRANSITIONAL EFFECTS – 1
• Competition produces great returns for humanity
• The result has been America progressing from a
predominantly agricultural society to an industrial, nuclear,
and information based society
• Innovation has led to advancements that have greatly
influenced every aspect of society.
• Society has benefited from constant advancements in
energy harvesting, computers, communication, water
purification, medicine, etc.

30. TRANSITIONAL EFFECTS – 2
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
Every significant discovery has in turn greatly influenced
societal norms of behavior Masses today view internet
communications as a vital necessity. It is nearly impossible to
operate in a complex society without easy access to the web.
The majority of masses did not have this belief fifteen years
ago. Only society determining that the internet allowed for
greater efficiency was it adopted as a societal norm. Those not
willing to adapt became obsolete.

31. STABILIZATION
• Sudden instability is the greatest threat to humanity
• It threatens to cause irreparable harm to the individual
• Elimination of one’s sustenance throws the individual into a
state of war, because their survival is now threatened
• Nation-states consist of multiple spheres of interest in turn
consisting of individual units consisting of people
• Survival is the primary goal of man and nation-states
• The primary concern is that of stability
• This philosophy has prevented a major war for over 70 years
• Instability is the primary cause of all conflict

32. SPHERES OF INFLUENCE
• Spheres consist of individuals
who share a common set of
interests and/or belief systems
• Individual participants are the
absolute micro-level
• Family, work, school, political
parties, religion, etc.
• The individual member serves as
the conduit between spheres
• Various
social
interactions
influence individual behavior

33. ELITE STAGES
• Elites are the true minority
• True for all societies
• Elites possess large capacities of power
• The example shows maximum education

34. PLURALISM ALLIANCES
Interdependent Spheres
• Alliances will form among once
competing spheres in order to
“check”
another
sphere
or
individual elite base that acquires
too much power
• Certain situations may also call for
spheres realize they share a
common agenda with one or more
of their respective peers
Government
Business
Individual

35. POWER THEORY – 1
• To exert power one must first possess adequate reserves
• This is defined simply as “capacity of power”
• Achieving higher positions is dependent on various factors
that may include: education; wealth; profession; charisma
and other talents either developed or engrained from birth
• This “capacity of power” is not determined according to a
single resource, ability or possession
• It is a combination of different variables that serve to make
up the individual
• This is just like a battery consisting of energy resources
drawn upon when it comes time to draw power in order to
achieve a set objective.

36. POWER THEORY – 2
• To exert power one must first possess adequate reserves
• This is defined simply as “capacity of power”
• Achieving higher positions is dependent on various factors
that may include: education; wealth; profession; charisma
and other talents either developed or engrained from birth
• This “capacity of power” is not determined according to a
single resource, ability or possession
• It is a combination of different variables that serve to make
up the individual
• This is just like a battery consisting of energy resources
drawn upon when it comes time to draw power in order to
achieve a set objective.

37. POWER THEORY – 3
Like a battery powering a
flashlight so does one’s
individual “capacity of power”
serve to assist one in achieving a
set goal or in this case
influencing or affecting political
behavior to maintain, expand or
protect one’s standing in order
to survive in society.

38. POWER THEORY – 4
Power equals resources (capacity of power) times compliance
squared, divided by force. Every accounting of power theory is
taken into consideration in the construction of this formula. We
have explored the contention that the pursuit of self-interest
encourages man to engage in political behavior. This serves as
the foundation for rational choice theory, which in turn has led us
to power theory. One may argue that the pursuit of power
maintains the never ending cycle of political: conflict; compromise;
alliances; and wars.

39. POWER THEORY – 5
Many have countered this argument with a direct assault on the
statement that “there is no morality in politics”. These critics are
both right and wrong. It is true that morality has no direct
correlation with political science if the pursuit of self-interests and
power resources maintains utmost priority. On the other hand
they may be correct if one party sells their pursuit as a moral
cause in order to achieve their agenda. For example, one may
argue that good may come from conflict even if it leads to the
destruction of a nation-state and the slaughtering of thousands or
millions of people if the seed of democracy is planted and
nurtured to maturity.

40. TRANSPARENCY – 1
America has grown from the days of a colony to major power,
superpower, and hegemon, to its present empire status. American
power is felt throughout the international community. Playing
poker requires one to adopt what is commonly known as a “poker
face”. Players will hide their true emotions, even faking their true
intentions to catch other players off guard. Some have even taken
to wearing sunglasses. The exact opposite tactic that the United
States has adopted is “Transparency”. This involves disclosing all
routes the nation-state will undertake with regards to all forms of
public policy pertaining to its political, economic and military
strategies.

41. TRANSPARENCY – 2
Alexander Hamilton initiated this
policy as the chief financial
philosopher of the United States
even if he did not coin the term.
Hamilton is regarded as the chief
architect of our economic policy,
which in turn was developed in order
to win the confidence of domestic
US business and financial elites as
well as gaining the confidence of
international business.

42. TRANSPARENCY EXAMPLE – 1
America possesses the most
technologically
advanced
military hardware. This video
demonstrates one of the first
deployable force fields for
light
armored
vehicles
(LAVs). Welcome to the 21st
Century.

43. TROPHY

44. TRANSPARENCY EXAMPLE – 2
America is not the only nation
that utilizes Transparency. This
video shows the Israeli Defense
Force demonstrating a new type
of gun that can shoot around
corners. A brief interview with the
inventor of this amazing weapon
follows the demonstration.

45. CORNER SHOT

46. TRANSPARENCY EXAMPLE – 3
Some forms of transparency are
both political and military in
nature. The military sponsored
the development of the Massive
Ordinance Aerial Burst (MOAB). It
is commonly referred to as “The
Mother Of All Bombs”. It is the
largest conventional bomb in our
arsenal. There is a psychological
component to this bomb. A
mushroom cloud forms following
successful detonation. It looks
somewhat like a nuclear device
being detonated.

47. MOAB

48. TRANSPARENCY EXAMPLE – 4
Javelin is a fire-and-forget missile
with lock-on before launch and
automatic self-guidance. The
system takes a top-attack flight
profile against armored vehicles
(attacking the top armor which is
generally thinner) but can also
take a direct-attack mode for use
against buildings or fortifications.
This missile also has the ability to
engage helicopters. Javelin is
supplied by Raytheon/Lockheed
Martin's JAVELIN Joint Venture.

49. JAVELIN

50. AMERICAN DEMOCRACY – 1
Elitism in the United States is government by the few.
Elites and the Masses in American Political Life.
1. Elites have power to decide who gets what, when, and how.
2. The lives of the masses are shaped by elite decisions.
Democracy and the Survival of Democracy
1. Democracy is government by the people.
2. The survival of democracy is in the hands of elites.
Evidence About Political Life Supporting Elite Theory
1. The Irony of Democracy explains American political life using elite theory.
2. American political history and contemporary political science provide
evidence of life in a democracy shaped by elites.

51. GOVERNMENT OF THE FEW
Italian political scientist Gaetano Mosca expressed the
meaning of elitism.
1. In all societies there is a small ruling class and a more
numerous ruled class.
2. French political scientist Roberto Michels stated the iron law of
oligarchy.
3. American political scientist Harold Lasswell expressed that
government is always by the few.
4. Elites are of society’s upper classes that control resources and
societal institutions.

52. FEAR OF PURE DEMOCRACY
1. The Founders feared that government by majority
rule would threaten the freedom and property of
minorities and individuals.
2. President
Abraham
Lincoln
expressed
the
impracticality of mass government.
3. Representative democracy inevitably leads to elite
government.
4. In Western democracies, elites have multiple
institutional bases of power.

53. THE AMERICAN ELITE CONSENSUS
THE ELITE CONSENSUS OF THE UNITED STATES:
1. Liberty
2. Respect For Private Property
3. Limited Government
NOTE: Elites argue over the “MEANS” and not the “ENDS”
NOTE: Respect for private property does not necessarily
mean safeguarding one’s home or personal possessions
like a car. It really means providing adequate security to
safeguard a person.

54. ELITE REPRESSION – 1
Elites primarily concern themselves with maintaining and/or
enhancing their positions of power. This requires protecting the
power system in which they dominate. Stability of the system is
an issue of great concern. If the system is not stable then the
mass class may no longer view elites as “legitimate. Mass
activism inspires elite repression. Elites respond by limiting
freedom and strengthening security, banning demonstrations,
curtailing speech, etc. One can argue that sexual harassment
laws may be a form of elite repression. Why is this so?

55. ELITE REPRESSION – 2
The majority of the mass class
may
actually
favor
elite
repression to some degree,
especially
during
times
of
national conflict (war). Shortly
after Pearl Harbor, President
Franklin
Delano
Roosevelt
authorized the internment of
Japanese Americans living on
the West Coast, which the
Supreme Court upheld. Could it
happen to another group of
citizens again?

56. POLITICAL MESSAGES
Technology allows the common
individual to cheaply create and
distribute
propaganda
worldwide.
Cartoons have a tendency to make
light such terrible subjects that include
warfare. “Little Saddam & Bush” and
“Saddam On The Run” were produced
and distributed prior to Persian Gulf
War II. The intent was to increase
mass support for a US led invasion of
Iraq. Do these cartoons influence your
personal opinion one way or the
other? Would they have impact over
political leaders? Why or why not?

57. SADDAM

58. LITTLE BUSH & SADDAM

59. THE FIRST ELITE CLASS – 1
The Founding Fathers were a truly exceptional elite
1. The Founding Fathers were wealthy, educated,
talented, and resourceful.
2. The Founding Fathers established a survivable and
stable federal government.
3. The Founding Fathers established a constitutional
government not based on heredity.

60. THE FIRST ELITE CLASS – 2
1. The elites were merchants, planters, lawyers, and bankers.
2. A small middle class was composed of successful farmers,
shopkeepers, and independent artisans.
3. The great mass of White Americans was small farmers and
workers in fishing, lumbering, and commerce.
4. The bottom of the white social structure consisted of
indentured servants and tenant farmers.
5. Black slaves were an important component of the
American economy considered property in the new
democratic nation.

61. PRIORITIES OF THE FOUNDERS
The Founding Fathers’ preferences for constitution forming
were government, the economy, and nationalism.
1. The fundamental role of a republican form of government was
to protect liberty and property and to suppress threats against
dominant economic elites.
2. The strong central government was to open western land to
speculation, protect shipping and manufacturing, and ensure
the return of runaway slaves.
3. The politically and economically strong central government
was to play a respectable role in the international community
and exercise power in world affairs.

62. FORMATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL ELEMENTS
The formative elements of a national elite were evident at the
Annapolis Convention and the Constitutional Convention.
1. The prestige of George Washington qualified him to preside
over the Constitutional Convention.
2. The Founding Fathers had extensive governing experience.
3. The Founding Fathers had attained high educational
achievements and were legally trained political decisionmakers.
4. The Founding Fathers formed a major part of the nation’s
wealthy business and financial leadership.
5. The Founding Fathers viewed political, economic, and military
issues from a nationalist perspective, looking beyond their
state loyalties.

63. GOVERNMENT CONSENSUS
1. Delegates agreed that the fundamental end of government is
the protection of liberty and property.
2. Delegates believed that there was a contractual relationship
between the people and their government, and that the
ultimate legitimacy of government is popular sovereignty.
3. Delegates believed that a republican government was a
representative, responsible, and nonhereditary government.
4. Delegates believed that dividing government power among
separate branches capable of checking each other was the
greatest assurance against tyranny.
5. Delegates believed that only a strong national government
could exercise its will directly on the people.

64. CONCILIATION & COMPROMISES
The Connecticut compromise was that representation in the
House of Representatives would be based on population and
representation in the United States Senate would be equal with
two senators from each state.
1. The compromises on slavery were that three-fifths of the
slaves of each state would be counted for the purpose of
representation and taxation, and that the slave trade would not
end before 1808.
2. The compromise on tariffs was that exported articles should
not be taxed and only the national government could tax
imported articles.
3. The delegates agreed that there would be state, not national,
qualifications on voting according to property holdings.

65. ELITE CONSTITUTION
The Constitution was an elitist document.
1. Elites enjoyed constitutional benefits from congressional levy
of taxes, regulation of commerce, protection of money and
property, creation of the military, protection against revolution,
protection of slavery, limitation of states in monetary and
business affairs.
2. The elite’s support for a strong national government was
realized by constitutional arrangements such as national
supremacy, republicanism, separation of powers and checks
and balances, and judicial review.
3. Elites skillfully used an extraordinary procedure, limited
participation, and a Bill of Rights to achieve constitutional
ratification.