The Analyze Of The Power Elite Theory

Power is the core of politics and political sociology. The research to power by thepolitical sociology, including the theoretical framework of power and the powerstructure, etc. The power theory mainly include field force theory, interaction theory,and the theory of elite, While power structure is mainly refers to the relation mode ofthe distribution of power, that its main types are radical--democratic model, democracy-multiple model, multiple elite model as well as the power elite model. The elite theoryhas experienced from the traditional elite theory (V. Pareto, G. Mosca, R. Michels) intothe theory of modern elite (after world war ii, Wright mills, H. Lass well, T Dye, etc.),and it is just the power elite theory of mills start to cause the big debate about power,dominating by the American political scientist. The view of mills about power elite hasshowed in the opening of “the power elite”: When the means of information and poweris concentrated up, some people in American society gradually occupies lofty positions,which can contempt of others. They dominate the main hierarchy and organization inmodern society, they manage a large enterprise, they dominate the modern stateapparatus, and they control the military organization. Mills’ power elite theory likes toclarify a pyramid-shaped structure of power in the United States. The top of the pyramidconsists of businessmen, the chief executive and military leaders, who is known as thepower elite. At the top of the below is the local opinion leaders and the leadership of thegovernment members of the legislative branch and special interest groups. Millsbelieves that these individuals and groups will basically follow the will of the powerelite. And at the bottom of the pyramid, it is no organized and exploited people. If thepower elite theory triggers a powerful argument, then it’s another function isre-introduces the "conflict" to the field of political sociologist, when the Parson’sparadigm of structural functionalist losing the dominant position. And pulls down thepluralism representing by Dahl out of the altars, debunks the theory of balance likes the Jefferson’s unrealistic myth.The paper looks the Marxist dialectical materialism and historical materialism asthe theoretical basis, define the concept of the elite, elitism, and the power elite, combthe pedigree about the theory of elite, then focus on the analysis and expounds thetheory of power elite of mills from the four aspects, including construction backgroundof the power elite theory, content and characteristics, the explanatory power of thistheory, also the influence of the power elite. After detailed analysis, this paper evaluatesthe mill’s theory dialectically from significance and limitations aspects, and thenanalyzes the practical significance of the theory, combining with the practice of thedemocratic political construction in our country. This paper hopes to construct a kind ofbalance political system, from political value balance, institutional balance andbehavioral balance aspects, and hope to change the view of power, with the continuousimprovement of the political system of knowledge. And we can guide the media play arole of public value, take full advantage of the social and cultural functions of education.All in all, we can make efforts from two aspects of people and objects to promote thebalanced development of China’s democratic politics.