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An Analysis of Political Elitism

em. Another is China, whose official title is "The Peoples Republic of China"; yet, China is far from democratic. Furthermore, democracy is seen as ambiguous. Democracy is not only a concept on which our great nation is based, but also it is a source for which government can use its authority, and it is also a process. This is where elitism is spawned. Elitism can be seen, from a certain point of view, as people who are believed to important who "vest political power in their incumbents" (Van Loon, Whittington, 1981). From a sociological point of view, elitism deals with class structures. Marx describes these class structures and what makes certain individuals "High Class" or "important": "The separation of ownership from the management and control of industry" (Penguin Books, 1994, p.58). Marxists see political elites as "bad guys" - theoretically, it is because they represent a small portion of the population and are believed to control most of the political power and money. However, Platos Republic offers a different standpoint. In his work, political elites are seen as "good guys" - wise, virtuous, and knowledgeable. It is difficult to define elitism, however. The above definition, first and foremost, deals with financial status. Whats more, Platos opinions and definitions of elites are blatantly out of date. Though political elites are predominately high-class and wealthy, it does not explain interest groups and lobbyists. The men and women in these groups are, on the whole, not particularly "rich" or "important". What makes them truly important or powerful is that they alter public opinion (The media works in the same way, however this will be discussed later). The idea that elites shape public opinion applies to all elites as well. Not to mention the fact that the majority of Canadians have negative attitudes toward political elites. As a common sense definition we see the actual people who are elites as "fat cats": Rich, p...

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