Hyper-elites and network: Capturing the powerful upper tail in Madagascar

Abstract

• A survey of the hyper-elites to capture their pathways and their social networks and to study power monopolization strategy. • This survey is representative of the top 0.05% of the most powerful people in the country: the “hyper-elite”. • The global network the elites build among themselves are among the means to access and hold the highest position of power. • Position of power is associated to four key network dimensions: size, quality, diversity of contacts and strength of ties. • Casts and inherited economic and social capital are also decisive factors in explaining control of power over years. In order to gain an understanding of how elites affect the development process, one of the first challenges is to investigate who are the elites and how do they access positions of power. The characteristics of the hyper-elites network and how it impacts on the distribution of power may constitute a key determining factor of the political equilibrium and the economic trajectory of a country. This article shows first the relevance of data from a first-hand statistical survey designed to be representative of the hyper-elites in Madagascar. This survey managed to capture in a comprehensive manner the pathways and the social networks of ‘elites’. The latter are defined as those who hold or have held top positions and/or have a level of responsibility in nine different spheres of power (political [governmental, elective and partisan], economic, religious, military, civil society, international organisation and public institution). Our empirical approach focused on social capital, instead of income or wealth, provides an innovative way to apprehend and to study in its entirety and nationwide how “the powerful upper tail” functions. Drawing on this unique dataset of 1000 hyper-elites, we show to what extent position of power is associated to four key elite network dimensions: size, quality, diversity of contacts and strength of ties. More specifically, the quality and diversity of ties are among the most relevant determinants of access to positions of power. Our analysis sheds light on the hyper-elite strategy of network building to “keep themselves to themselves” and on the importance attached to casts and other inherited positions. It explains the limited social mobility and the huge gap between the elites and the majority of the population, which are among the causes of Madagascar’s recession.