A member of a powerful ruling or small superior minority. Elite originally denoted the best individuals at the top of organizations (governmental, religious, social, and economic), much to the CLASSICAL concept of ARISTOCRACY. For example, a royal or an executive might be called an elite. Church leaders, social club presidents, and corporate executives have all been portrayed as elite leaders. Any profession, including law, media, and academia, has its elite individuals who have differentiated themselves via noteworthy successes, accolades, and notoriety. Such an elite was most vulnerable to corrupting pride, vanity, and evil, according to St. Augustine's early CHRISTIAN political philosophy. A worldly elite was typically evil and self-centered.
Elite theory claimed that a small social elite (the wealthy, particular family, government officials, etc.) still controlled the government even after democracy was established in the majority of countries. Leaders in the COMMU- NIST nations, including the Soviet Union, were viewed as a party elite who possessed advantages and power that the majority of the populace did not. It is implied that elite rule uses force and manipulation to uphold its powerful position in society. The elite reportedly maintains their hold on power through their control of the media, education, and political campaigns while giving the general public the impression that popular opinion is what counts. It is believed that a close-knit network of elites with quick, covert communication thwarts any real attempt to challenge their dominance.
The PLURALISM school of political thought, which contends that several groups strive for influence in society and government, is an alternative to the elite view. According to this theory, no elite group has enduring authority; instead, everyone competes for control in the "political marketplace." James Madison believed that society will maintain democratic governance and individual freedom as a result of this conflicting competitiveness of groupings. Elites are unstable and unpredictable due to their diversity of interests.
In modern political theory, the term elite is ambiguous. Depending on the setting, it may be seen favorably (as in an elite university) or badly (as an intellectual elite or liberal elite). However, elite is typically viewed negatively in Modern DEMOCRATIC culture, and much political action is focused on "opening up" elite strongholds (in the government, the military, the social sector, and the religious sector). The primary goal of affirmative action is to eliminate perceived racial and gender elites.
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