Elites are a group of people who enjoy higher standing in society relative to others based on their skills, economic standing, or education. What do elites have to do with the US government? Quite a bit, actually. The US is a democratic republic and has elements of different types of democracies. One of them being elite democracy.
This article aims to give a basic understanding of what elite democracy is and how pieces of it are seen within the US government today.
Figure 1. Statue of Liberty. Pixabay
Elite Democracy Definition
The definition of an elite democracy is a democratic institution in which a small number of the citizenry holds and influences political power.
Elite Democracy Foundations
The foundations of elite democracy are based on the elitism theory. Elitism theory holds that a small group of people will always hold a bulk of power and wealth. The basis of the elitism theory is that the elites emerge due to the inadequacies of the general population. In other words, the mass population is either uneducated or doesn't have the skills needed to take on the roles that the elite take.
One of the prominent elite theorists, Roberto Michels, came up with the iron law of oligarchy, in which he argues that all democratic institutions will inevitably become oligarchies. Democracies require leaders, and the development of those leaders will consequently lead to them not wanting to let go of their influence, creating a concentration of power amongst a few. Michels views and those of other classical elitism theorists have helped shape what elite democracy means today.
Participatory vs Elite Democracy
In the US, three types of democracy can be seen throughout the government, one of them being elite democracy, and the others are pluralist democracy and participatory democracy.
Pluralist Democracy: a form of democracy in which different interest groups influence governing without one dominating the other.
Participatory Democracy: a form of democracy in which citizens broadly or directly participate in governmental affairs. In the US, this type of democracy is seen at the state and local levels through referendums and initiatives.
However, the most contrasting of these are elite and participatory democracy. They are on opposite sides of the spectrum. While elite democracy governance is influenced by a select group of people, in a participatory democracy, the will of the majority of the people is what carries the day. Participatory democracy encourages citizen participation and inclusion; on the other hand, elite democracy either discourages or disregards the will of the citizens unless it aligns with the views of those in a position of power.
Elite Democracy in the US
Elements of different types of democracy are utilized within the United States' political system. However, elements of elite democracy are one of the most prominently used and go all the way back to the constitution's creation. The following examples illustrate the history and reach of elite democracy in the U.S.
Figure 2. Electoral College Certificates. Wikimedia Commons.
Electoral College
The electoral college is a prime example of an element of elite democracy within the US. In presidential elections, the citizens vote for their preferred candidate (these are called popular votes). However, the candidate with the most popular votes does not necessarily win the election.
The founding fathers were wary about the public having too much say in government because they believed they were too uneducated to make decisions. Thus, the founding fathers ensured that there would be a buffer between the citizens and the presidency by creating the electoral college.
The number of electors each state gets is equal to the number of senators and house representatives of each state. These electors are the ones who actually decide who becomes president, and their decision is supposed to be based on how the majority of their state has voted and is based on a winner-take-all system.
Texas has 38 electors. In the presidential election in Texas, Candidate A slimly won by 2% of the vote. Due to the winner-take-all system. All 38 electors must vote for Candidate A, even though 48% of the vote went to Candidate B.
Members of the electoral college traditionally cast their votes according to the results of their states. But they can technically depart from the voters wishes and become "faithless electors" if the voters of their state have chosen someone the electors deem unfit for the presidency.
Figure 3. Supreme Court Building, Joe Ravi, CC-BY-SA-3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Supreme Court
Another example of elite democracy in the United States is the Supreme Court. Here, a group of 9 judges (called "justices"), who are highly educated and skilled, are appointed by Presidents to make rulings on the constitutionality of the laws that may impact citizens' daily lives. Therefore, these 9 justices have tremendous power in establishing governance in the United States. When they choose to either uphold or invalidate a law that has been challenged as unconstitutional, the whole nation has to abide by whatever they rule.
Moreover, any future laws must be written in a way that doesn't undermine the Supreme Court's prior rulings. Therefore, the power of what course US laws take is concentrated among nine people, making it an element of elite democracy.
Economic & Political Elite
The electoral college and the supreme court are prime examples of elements of elite democracy in US institutions. Another is the existence of an economic & political elite. The economic elite are a minority group within the United States that, due to their wealth, have a remarkable amount of power and control over US politics.
The economic and political elite often work together for their own gain. Economic elites may, at times, use their money via lobbying, super PACs, and the creation of jobs to influence what the political elite do. In exchange, the political elite creates or influences laws to suit the needs of the economic elite. Therefore this group has an exorbitant amount of power over politics in the US.
Companies involved in health products and pharmaceuticals have increased lobbying spending since 1999 and, on average, spend over $230 million on congress and senate members who are on committees that directly support or oppose laws regarding health regulations. Some of this lobbying money was spent on those making decisions on drug regulations and pricing.
Cruise line companies also increased lobbying spending during the pandemic in 2020 as a way to influence lawmakers to change pandemic regulations to allow cruise line operations to continue during the coronavirus pandemic. These two very different sectors have both tried to influence lawmakers regarding health policies through the use of lobbying.
Super PACS & Elections
Super PACS: Political committees that can receive unlimited funds from corporations, individuals, labor unions, and other political committees to spend indirectly on political campaigns.
In 2018, 68% percent of Super PAC donors donated more than $1 million each to help shape elections. In other words, in order to be able to influence policy, a donor would have to be wealthy enough to make a donation above that. This makes people feel like their voices are ineffective and inconsequential when compared to those multi-million dollar donors funding campaigns.
FUN FACT
The top 3 wealthiest people in the nation are wealthier than 50% of Americans.
Elite Democracy Pros and Cons
With any type of political system, there are advantages and disadvantages. The following are the pros and cons of having an elite democracy.
Elite Democracy Pros
Effective Leadership: Since the elite are usually highly educated and knowledgeable, they have the know-how to make effective decisions.
Efficient & Quick Decision Making: Due to power being concentrated with a few people, decisions can come about more quickly.
Elite Democracy Cons
Lack of diversity: Elites tend to come from the same social, economic, and educational backgrounds, leaving the majority of them to have the same perspective.
Benefits a few: Since there is a lack of diversity, their decisions are mainly based on their own perspective, not that of the masses. Usually, the decisions that are taken by the elite suit their own interests.
Corruption: Elite democracy tends to lead to corruption because those in power may be reluctant to give it up and may bend the rules to keep it.
Elite Democracy - Key takeaways
- Elite democracy is a democratic institution in which a small number of citizens hold and influence political power.
- There are three types of democracies in the United States elite, pluralist, and participatory.
- Participatory and Elite democracy are contrasting types of democracy. Participatory encourages the participation of all citizens, while in an elite democracy, only a few are in charge of decisions.
- The supreme court and the electoral college are examples of elite democracy in US governmental institutions.
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