a monopolistic system of inequalities created and maintained by the dominant power. The elite have the means and the political resources to prevent political action that would not benefit themselves and to push forward those that would. The Elite therefore determine the agenda of both decision making and non-decision making and in so doing establish their dominance and the subordinance and compliance of those on the bottom of the power hierarchy. Although the two dimensional approach to power delves deeper than the first into the nature of power and powerlessness by involving analyses of potential issues, grievances, nondecision-making and non-participation, Both Lukes and Gaventa find that it is on the same level as the first dimension in that it also emphasizes observable conflict only. Of course it is true that the first does stress only overt while the second stresses both overt and/or covert conflict. Nonetheless, an affinity between the two results in their belief that where there is conflict, there is an element of power in decision making and, for the second dimension, in nondecision-making. Barach and Baratz (as cited in Lukes,1974:19) states that if "there is no conflict, overt or covert, the presumption must be that there is consensus on the prevailing allocation of values, in which case nondecision-making is impossible." Here, there is obviously no consideration of latent conflict or attention as to how interests not consciously articulated may fit into the power relationship. Lukes identifies manipulation and authority as two for...
