Power Elite Research Articles

A Power Elite Alliance and Local Environmental Policy: Elon Musk in Cameron County

A Power Elite Alliance and Local Environmental Policy: <i>Elon Musk in Cameron County</i>

Formation of images of the future in the USSR in the 1920s.

The article is devoted to the trends in the formation of images of the future in the USSR in the 1920s. The subject of the study is the image of the future as an object of design during the formation of a new state of society, the search for guidelines and practices of social development. Design in a broad context is considered as an active creative activity to shape the image of the future. Design may imply certain deadlines for its implementation, or it may be based on approximate calculations, on some guidelines that do not have a strict time limit. The research methods were historical-analytical, historical-comparative, historical-genetic, system-analytical. The postulates of F. Polak and E. Bloch were adopted as the methodological basis for studying images of the future. The article identifies the subjects of designing images of the future in the period under study, among whom are the leaders and ideologists of the Communist Party, as well as representatives of the urban intelligentsia. The main factors in the formation of images of the future are identified, among which are noted: the “current present”, political programs and ideological attitudes of the power elite, ideological trends of previous decades, scientific achievements, value systems. Projecting images of the future by subjects in the 1920s, experiencing the influence of various factors, led to the formation of images of a predominantly utopian nature, defining the horizons of the “expected” or “possible” future. Given the schematic and vagueness of the political guidelines for communism and the diversity of its author’s figurative variants, the future society was presented in the general categories of collectivism, science-centrism, technocratism, the ideals of a new socially determined person, and the subordination of nature to society.

“The Navigators”. Mediterranean Cities and Urban Spaces in the Passage from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages (ca. 600 – ca. 850 CE)

The aim of the paper is to reassess urban trajectories in the Mediterranean during the passage from Late Antiquity to the early Middle Ages. This will be done by focusing on the sites of Amorium, Gortyn, Eleutherna, and Comacchio, places which transcend both the terrestrial and maritime, and the political and military frontiers of the Byzantine empire and the Umayyad Caliphate. Archaeology and material culture will be used – in a comparative perspective – to dissect urban bodies in terms of use of space and function of spatial relationship. This is in order to document the construction of urban models, structures, and infrastructures, which, although often stemming from diverse centralized political and administrative policies, nevertheless accommodated common, cross-cultural developments, including the creation of commercial and artisanal facilities, construction or restoration of religious buildings as foci of settlement, and resilience of local elites as a catalyst of patronage and levels of demand. Particular attention will be given to the role of public spaces as the frame of reference. Indeed, such spaces will be used to show how artistic and architectural displays operated, cultural assumptions could be (re-) discussed, and different types of buildings coexisted. In this respect, the paper will also explore the continuous importance of civic infrastructures and religious buildings as pillars of a yet coherent urban fabric, representatives of the power and wealth of local city-oriented elites, and conveyors of political, artistic, and spatial symbolism, as mutually recognized and experienced by the communities frequenting seventh-to-ninth century eastern Mediterranean urban spaces.

The topic of climate change in Polish media coverage on the example of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference

Climate change is one of the most critical global issues, engaging not just researchers and activists but also members of the power elite responsible for political decisions. A key annual event for discussing the challenges of climate change is the UN Climate Conference. Its 26th edition, held in Glasgow in 2021, received widespread coverage in both traditional and online media, earning the moniker “last chance summit.” This article presents a study on the media portrayal of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26). Concept: The research focused on news published during the Conference in three primary TV news broadcasts (“News”, “Events”, “Facts”) and on the main pages of three internet news portals (Interia, Onet, WP). Results: The study found that COP26, while competing for media attention with other significant events (such as protests against anti-abortion laws and the migration crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border), was featured by all surveyed media organizations. Additionally, each TV news outlet, through actions like sending reporters to Glasgow, and each online portal, through initiatives like participating in Greenpeace-organized events, emphasized the conference’s importance.

Cartels in infrastructure procurement—Evidence from Lebanon

AbstractWe study cartels in public infrastructure procurement and analyze the conditions under which they succeed in generating rents. We first conceptualize the interplay of the central actors of a procurement project, notably the contractor, the procurement agency, as well as the supervision and design consultants. By focusing on consultants, our framework includes important yet understudied actors in cartels that design tenders, evaluate bids, and supervise the implementation of projects. We go on to explore an original dataset of infrastructure procurement contracts in Lebanon and analyze the conditions under which powerful political elites can broker deals to overprice and/or overspend contracts. To examine how cartels operate, we identify the political connections of contractors and consultants and classify them according to their “quality” in terms of access to institutional functions of the implementing agency. We argue that design consultants serve as the lynchpin of the cartel by reducing transaction costs for searching, bargaining, and enforcing of corrupt deals.

Criminal Prosecution of Political Leaders: Narrative Analysis of Modern Power Elite Crimes

Political stories about deceit, terror and contract killings have a significant impact on the legal and political culture of all the nations. Crime narratives have the potential to fundamentally change international relations and national politics. From the description of the policy of violence pursued by Qin Shi Huang in ancient China to the criminal legends about Rodrigo Borgia in Rome, from the Sarajevo assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914 to the death of Salvador Allende on September 11, 1973 in Chile, we observe an aura of mystery around the motives of political crime and note the constant drama of the power struggle. Digital transformation has changed the format of criminal political stories by creating multimedia narratives around political leaders. It turned a traditional political detective story into a postmodern tragicomedy. The influence of end-to-end digital technologies on the modus operandi of terrorists, corrupt officials and political adventurers is due to the new opportunities that virtual reality provides for creating an image of the enemy in the political consciousness of the electorate. Stories about crimes possibly committed by the leaders of the party in power, and narratives about the betrayal of national interests by the opposition compete for the attention of the audience, whose worldview is becoming increasingly disenchanted in the context of a correspondence dialogue between Niccolo Machiavelli and Max Weber on the methods of legitimizing domination. Power elite’s crimes studied by narrative research methods reveal special patterns of actions of the party in power against the key opposition figures and vice versa, driven by their desire to destroy each other’s reputation. The analysis of political crime narratives confirms the hypothesis that the digital transformation of politics encourages the use of criminal narratives instead of physical violence in an attempt to defame and eliminate political leaders.

Dispute Resolution Methods, Fundamental or Human Rights and Legal Pluralism

The analysis of modern political-institutional systems, democratic-constitutional of a liberal mold, if it clarifies the reasons for the presence and diffusion of dispute resolution methods (state awards), of fundamental and human rights (general) attributable to the new elites of power and government, therefore to the bourgeois class, in the context of a monistic and statistic conception of legal systems, then does not explain the reasons for the diffusion and progressive multiplication of alternative methods of resolving disputes, such as fundamental or human rights in more recent eras. It is therefore necessary to analyze the processes of change that have affected the State, the law, the judicial systems, therefore the fundamental and human rights and the methods of resolving disputes in the light of the phenomenon of legal pluralism.

Homiletical Competencies for the Fourth Industrial Revolution: South African perspectives on speaking truth to power

Scholars believe that we are amid one of the greatest cultural revolutions since the mass production of books in Gutenberg around 1450. The art of book printing, which originated in Central Europe, turned the world on its head within 10 years. The mass production of books resulted in most people in Europe learning to read in less than one generation, which has led to major changes in all areas of social life and has affected the lives of millions of people for over a hundred years. According to these same scholars, we currently find ourselves in a similar position through what is known as the AI (artificial intelligence). In this article, the researcher wants to come to a better understanding of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and AI as part of it and the way they challenge preachers. The central research question is: In our pursuit to speak the truth of Jesus Christ to the powerful economic elite, what are the challenges and opportunities that the 4IR is posing to preachers?

A Study on the Changes of Gender Morality in China: Centered on the Male Experience in the "Love Letter" Incident (1900-1930)

In the 20th century, China was an era of significant social changes, experiencing the impact of abolishing old and establishing new in politics, economy, culture, and other aspects. In terms of sexual morality, traditional sexual morality was criticized by Chinese youth and intellectuals, while new sexual morality was disseminated among young people. The love letter incident that occurred in such a social context is a representative event of young men and women actively breaking traditional sexual morality and constructing new sexual morality. This article takes two love letter events that occurred in China in the early 20th century and the 1920s as research objects, focusing on the experiences of young men in the love letter events. Using the method of seeking differences, it first clarifies the thoughts and expressions of young men on the issue of love in the love letter text. Secondly, it analyzes the views and debates of public power and social elites on the events in the love letter events, thereby revealing the end of the old sexual morality and the development of new sexual morality in modern China. In the two love letter events, the content of the young man's love letters both demonstrated his longing for new sexual morality. Qu Jiang faced criticism, while Qiu Gongyi received sympathy. The different experiences of the male protagonist in the two love letter events reflect the progress of China's modernization process in terms of neutral moral concepts.

Membongkar Rasionalitas: Pemikiran Amartya Sen tentang Kekuasaan Ekonomi

Discussing about rationality is often releated to human actions, because humans are considered as rationalist creatures who act to realize and decide things with their thinking abilities. The question is whether the society is becoming less critical in seeing the political games played by the power elite, or the authorities are using power to create fear by spreading some rationalizing concepts in such a way that they are accepted as truth. By tracing Amartya Sen’s thoughts, the author of this article tries to show the initial position (arche) of economics as a moral science, which seems to have been poisoned by desires for self-interest only. This article tries to reveal the fallacy of rationality behind the policies that have been used to implement power, which in this case have been promulgated by the government regarding economics in order to overcome various social and humanitarian problems such as poverty, hunger, and injustice in the society.

Democratic utopianism: still searching for the truest meaning of democracy

The objects of this research are: first, to explore the concept of democracy and its different meanings. Second, to highlight the shortcomings of living in a democratic country. Third, to explore the political leverage and potential dangers posed by members of elite democracy on the masses. Fourth, to warn political leaders of the setback of relying on a system of government that is nonexistent or practiced in its truest form. The researcher investigated the following: Divergent meanings and interpretations of democracy identified some shortcomings associated with democracy and the dangers of the powerful elite who are political leaders imposed on citizens. The main results of the research: first, there is no single country in the world that can rightfully hold claim to practicing democracy in its truest form. Second, democracy is an ideal system of government we all aspired to have, and third, the elite class has manipulated democratic processes to ensure their perpetual dominance over the masses. Fourth, democracy needs to be instituted properly and effectively for the benefit of citizens. The area of practical use of the research: all citizens living in a country where democracy is practiced, political leaders, political party members, students, workers, and public office holders, employees of regional and global organizations.

Russian Yearning for Elite Power: Nikolai Berdyaev’s Reflections on the Metaphysics of Democratism

The purpose of this article is to present Nikolai Berdyaev’s view of power and how it is exercised in a democracy. The Russian thinker treated power as an evil that the democratic system was not free from. Berdyaev regarded the metaphysics of democratism as a manifestation of human hubris and a fall into what is mediocre and devoid of deeper spirituality. He argued that power should be aristocratic, not egalitarian. In his view, only the chosen, few, the eminent, possessed the ability to guide the masses toward the highest values.

A Democracy That Works: How Working-Class Power Defines Liberal Democracy in the United States. By Stephen Amberg. New York: Routledge, 2023. 378p. $180.00 cloth. - The New Power Elite. By Heather Gautney. New York: Oxford University Press, 2023. 336p. $29.95 cloth.

A Democracy That Works: How Working-Class Power Defines Liberal Democracy in the United States. By Stephen Amberg. New York: Routledge, 2023. 378p. $180.00 cloth. - The New Power Elite. By Heather Gautney. New York: Oxford University Press, 2023. 336p. $29.95 cloth.

Elite Capture Syndrome and Anti-Corruption Control in Nigeria: The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission in Perspective

Like many African states, Nigeria has hitherto been caught in the web of pervasive acts of grand and petty corruption. The pervasive nature of political and bureaucratic corruption in Nigeria has undeniably impoverished her economy and, as such, warranted the establishment of the EFCC and ICPC. However, anti-corruption agencies have not been able to control corruption to a minimum, as Nigeria remains poorly ranked in the global corruption index. This research takes on a critical and comparative lens to understand the nature of class politics in the fight against corruption, to examine the level of high-profile prosecutions, to identify irregularities in the institutions of law enforcement, and to consider the level of transparency and accountability for recovered loot and confiscated properties. The study finds, among other things, that powerful elites have high-jacked anti-corruption fights of the EFCC and ICPC, with low-profile convictions in Nigeria, and public accountability and transparency regarding recovered loot is almost nonexistent. The Elite Capture paradigm is employed as a theoretical guide in its narrative.

Commentary] Ukraine on the brink – Is Western appeasement plunging Europe into a catastrophe?

The article describes interior problems, coming from the inefficiency of the Russian socioeconomic system, play a greater part than geopolitical struggles in impinging the Kremlin politics towards Ukraine. The Russian elite wants to impede that Ukraine develops better than Russia and Belarus, when entering EU and furnishing democratic structures. The power elite would lose control when the people of Russia and Belarus would wish to follow the example given by a free and prosperous Ukraine. It is maintained that only a determined Western power politics will have the effect to deter Russia from the invasion and occupation of the entire Ukraine. The deployment of Nato troops in Ukraine is required to urge Russia to refrain from any forms of occupation.

Gård – kongsgård – bispegård: spor etter bosetning og makt på domkirkeplatået i Trondheim i jernalder og tidlig middelalder

This article describes and discusses archaeological traces of a ‘landscape of power’ on the cathedral plateau in Trondheim; in particular, traces of the saga-mentioned Viking-Age farm and structures from the early medieval period linked to emerging institutions of royal and ecclesiastical power. Remains of the first bishop's palace have been identified near the site of King Olav the Gentle’s Christ Church, as well as traces of the medieval royal residence that King Harald Hardrada reputedly established in the same area in the mid-11th century. Adopting a long-term perspective, the article describes the materialities of elite power networks and practices which formed this important place on the Nidarnes peninsula during the Norwegian Iron Age and the early medieval period and discusses them in the context of changes and developments in topography and social organisation.

Parasitical elitism in a sectarianized political system with a rentier economy: The power and practice of the Iraqi political elite after 2003

AbstractThis article theorizes the role of the elite in a sectarianized political system with a rentier economy. It argues that by virtue of the sectarian and ethnic representation of the sub‐identities, the long‐term interests of society are neglected. The reliance on natural resources creates a competition within the elite to seize the state's revenue for narrow interests. Finally, in such a setting, the elite attempts the monopolization of the flow of information to the public to shore up its legitimacy. The case study is Iraq since it is one of the few, if not the sole, sectarianized political system with a rentier economy. The political elite, despite an abysmal performance for nearly two decades, has been resilient and garnered more power. The continuous malpractice encompasses all the political players who agree on the governing rules by which they maintain their position within the system, and with limited circulation of the elite.Related ArticlesAli, Hamid E., and Shahjahan Bhuiyan. 2022. “Governance, Natural Resources Rent, and Infrastructure Development: Evidence from the Middle East and North Africa.” Politics &amp; Policy 50(2): 408–40. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12451.Howie, Peter. 2018. “Policy Transfer and Diversification in Resource‐Dependent Economies: Lessons for Kazakhstan from Alberta.” Politics &amp; Policy 46(1): 110–40. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12239.Khodr, Hiba. 2014. “A Preliminary Comparative Study of Policy Making in Two GCC Countries—Qatar and Kuwait: Processes, Politics, and Participants.” Politics &amp; Policy 42(2): 271–310. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12068.

Elites and economic policy in South Africa’s transition and beyond

ABSTRACT We build on and critique previous literature on economic policy configuration during the transition from apartheid to democracy (1990 to 1994) in South Africa (SA). The contribution of this article, and our critique of much influential literature on economic policy formation during the transition, is that the powerful corporate elites were not just stakeholders in negotiations between the apartheid government, the African National Congress (ANC) and other parties. We adopt a structural approach that highlights the crucial role of corporate elites and their active manoeuvring to manage and control economic policymaking during the transition to ensure continuity of the ostensibly free market economic policies they designed during the late-apartheid period. The complicity of the economic leadership of the ANC in squashing progressive economic transformation horizons is directly connected to the survival and institutionalisation in the present of late-apartheid neoliberalised economic policy. Ultimately, the corporate elite’s exertion of their state-expanded powers, their co-option of selected members of the black political elite and the ANC’s economic policy self-emasculation has further strengthened multinational corporations’ domination of SA’s markets, which were already highly concentrated, and limited present and future possibilities for inclusive development of the SA economy.

Sonic Domination and the Politics of Race in Southern Antebellum Hymnody

AbstractReligious music served a political function in the southern United States during the antebellum period. This article examines catechisms and hymnbooks used by white evangelical missionaries and slaveowners in the antebellum South, arguing that the planter elite deployed hymns as a medium to assert white supremacy. The term sonic domination identifies processes whereby sound functioned as a social tool to maintain discipline and order among the enslaved population. Black and white people sang hymns in church, at interracial revivals, and during civic services; they were also heard on bells and cited in poetry. English texts and tunes included in slave catechisms and white portrayals of Black singing highlight the role of evangelical hymns in maintaining plantation order in the Old South. At the same time, enslaved Black Christians found creative ways to circumvent the oppressive power of the white elite through song. African Americans employed English hymns in their own religious rituals and used them to convey hidden meanings on the plantation. Both genres, which interacted and ultimately influenced each other, contributed to an eventual codification of American evangelical hymnody.

Charles Wright Mills' Concept of "The Power Elite" Triangle According to the Georgian Model of 1990-2020

The paper presents similarities and differences of Charles Wright Mills's concept of "The Power Elite" triangle on the Georgian model of 1990-2020. The article presents a research on the Georgian analogue of the Mills concept in the context of church power, army and, in general, force power, economic and financial elites. It is also about the promotion of the bourgeoisie in the American society and the factors of developed skills, which essentially differentiates the American existence from the Georgian existence. In the article, I discuss the conditions, which represent The Mills concept, on the example of Georgia, how the factor of church power differs, which in our case plays the role of essential influencing power, what was the condition of the rulers of Georgia over the years against the background of the confrontation between secular and clerical power elites, and what is the overall result we got today. The article provides a qualification that is derived from research and analysis. The article explains why financially powerful groups and individuals in political and governmental layers are getting stronger in Georgia, why citizens do not have the appropriate conditions for influence, what factors prevent the strengthening of civic influence in Georgia. In some cases, the Mills constructions, like the example of Georgia, even look paradoxical, declaring that the state is one, while creating a radically different reality and trend. The article studies the influence of the Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia on maintaining power in Georgia and its characteristics. There are highlighted Mills views about democracy resources, context and content comparability, the factors impacting the bourgeoisie in the development and strengthening democracy, that is represented quite differently in Georgian model. The article discovers the theoretic factors that hinders the development of democratic values in Georgia - the historical and modern contexts of aristocracy and feudalism, superiority of church hierarchy in maintaining power, secular authorities longing for authoritarianism and mutual subordination of secular and clerical power elites with the weird synthesis of partnership.