Power Elite - True Power

True Power

Today, most countries have democratic governments, which means that decisions are made by the people, who rule and govern the state. However, there is no state that works on a perfect democracy due to various reasons. Governments are too big in itself, which makes it very hard for each citizen to express their own voice in decisions made. Due to this, governments usually fall into the hands of the power elite. The power elite, being the true power in American society.

Although people can slightly influence decisions by voting and getting involved in politics, the people who really have the final say is the power elite. America's government is democratic, but through its actions may seem like a totalitarian democracy, or even authoritarian. This country is and always will be run by people with wealth. Wealth brings power and power begets influence, therefore leaving the wealthy with the most influential power. The people's voices matter, they just don't matter as much as the elite. In G. William Domhoff's article "The Class-Domination Theory of Power", in the section of the power elite and government, he explains how members of the power elite implement themselves into the federal government. These members of the power elite are ensuring "access" to the White House, Congress, and specific agencies, departments, and committees in the executive branch. No average Joe or plain Jane can do such a thing. America lives by one rule, it's not who you are, it's who you know.

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The media plays a strong role in America's democracy. The media is everywhere and is accessible to all. With this accessibility, comes the ability of the power elite to implement their influences on people. Today, media definitely helps people become better informed about politics and government, especially online media. With more and more users joining online social networking sites such as Myspace or Facebook everyday, it is easy to see why more and more people are also becoming more informed about what's going on in the world. From May 2007 to May 2008 the amount of users of Facebook grew by an amazing 83%. If there is one way to inform people, it is through the media. Although the media does inform the public of current events, it isn't completely reliable. Today's American mess media environment is characterized by several trends. These trends include private ownership, government regulation, expansion of entertainment content replacing news content, and that the media exhibit political bias. The media corporations are run by the elite and if the media exhibits political bias, then what does that say for the viewers who are being influenced. In the end, the power elite remain the over influence and power, using the media as a tool.

The battle over healthcare and education is