A Critique on Mark Evans Elitism

Meldgyrie Mae M. Andales A1

As established by the classical elite theorists, elitism is a theory of social power. The
framework is constituted for the critique of Marxism and Pluralism. The concept puts emphasis
to the relationship between the state and civil society. The article of Evans main point of
discussing this theory is to take a critical review of the content and nature of elite theory from its
classical origins and assesses its contribution to the understanding of contemporary societies. The
relevance of elite theory through understanding contemporary societies is that it illustrates how
elites influence policies international and national level and it provides evidences to Moscas
assumption that elites are the dominant class, their decisions serves as the governing decision
and their interest serves as the governing interest. Explicitly, it provides a narrow explanation
about the theory, the propositions, the reasons why elite provides an understanding to
contemporary societies, and the explanation of how elites take part around the globe.
The literature clearly provides credible, persuasive and based-on-facts information. This
gives its articles edge to the other work studying the concept. The attitude of being unbiased
with good citations gives its published work strength. These methodologies were used accurately
to the article that makes it essential than other published article that leads to a better support of
his thesis.
Evans constructed a good argument in his introduction that will be elaborated in the
further readings. As to provide good evidences, he started presenting details of classical origin
down to understanding contemporary societies that emphasizes its thesis. Classical origin started
by Pareto, Mosca and Michels which establish the key propositions and assumed that elite
domination is inevitable in the society. But the established propositions and arguments were
rejected by elitist theorist of the modern days. At this modern elite theory, new propositions arise
as they attempt to answer the unanswered questions that were thrown years ago, hence,
answering these questions establish a new proposition of the concept.

While modern elitist strive to answer questions, they came to a point where their focus is
the state, that analysis of state can be a key to understanding elites roles and functions in the
society. As the dramatic globalization slowly intervenes in every nation state, there occurs an
external hollowing-out that creates another elite called policy-making elite. These are the elites
higher than the state elite which influence the policy-making of state because of its established
international policies. This approach aims to help comprehend that elite, as stated by Evans, is
present in every organized societies.
Another approach in understanding contemporary society is the statecraft which puts its
focus to political elites party leaders, top civil servants, and policy advisers. This approach
determines the tactics and strategies of politicians to win in elections and maintain and preserve
power in the state. Policy-network is an approach categorizes the relationship between groups,
third sector organizations and government/government agencies. Lastly, an approach towards
understanding contemporary society is the URT or the Urban Regime Theory. A theory assumes
that the collaboration of government and business leaders makes a successful system. The
relationship between business and government leaders is symbiotic where both can benefit.
The article of Evans provided its credible evidences in support to its thesis. However, it
fails to: (1) answer the question: is governing elite a unified or diversified? (2) Provide
supporting details to unknown terms which cause a little confusion for the readers who has an
average knowledge about the concept, and (3) consider its average people who might read his
work.
Lots of written documents were published in the context of Elitism that would contribute
to the better study of the concept. The work of David Simon entitled Elite Deviance, talks about
the massive influence of ruling elites that leads to its deviance in the society. It provides a
thorough discussion to the nature of elite, its relationship to other ruling elites, and how these
elites greatly influence the policy-making. But the book focuses on the crimes that elites act upon
which are economic domination, government and governmental control and denial of human
rights. Simons book, although its more comprehensive than Evans, it lacks to give a more
sturdy background about elites and its establish theory which is best given by Evans.

Another published work that talks about elitism is John Sheas book entitled American
Government: The Great Game of Politics. Sheas work caters a brief explanation of how ruling
elites can be perceive as a cohesive group and differentiate elites to leaders in a representative
sense which most of elite theorist assume that these 2 factors are the same. The difference
between them is that elites can work for the public good but most of the time they serve its own
good rather than the public good while leaders in a representative sense do its work for the public
good nothing more nothing less. Empirically, this work of Shea lacks of supporting details and
that it only focus on determining who or what runs the system.
Mark Hagopians Ideals and Ideologies of Modern Politics also discussed elitism.
It best illustrates the roots of classical elitism that this was made to challenge the majority rule of
liberal democracy. Hence, liberal democracy modifies its principles but this new theory is
subjected to scrutiny. The work of Wallace Clement focuses its article on defining and
differentiating the 4 kind of elites in the society Economic, State, Media, and Labor and
Religious elite. It studied its differences finding out that elites were diverse and never been
unified. The elitism of Henrikson highlighted the policy-making community or group. He
elaborated the roles and functions of these policy-making communities but it cant withstand the
explanation of Evans.
Finding family resemblances from other works about Elitism found Mark Evans
importance to its contribution to the literature and its advantage from the other writings. It clearly
illustrates the development of elitism from its classical to modern elitism which provided
approached that helps understanding contemporary societies.
The article of Mark Evans entitled Elitism is more precise and detailed article than the
others. This article provides a wide array of information about the concept which will help
students especially to the Political Science majors to understand Elitism, its propositions and its
arguments. Additionally, the work of Evans is a strong and persuasive commentary article about
the Elite, its theory and its behaviour.

Reference
Evans, Mark (2006). Elitism. Hay, C., Marsh, D., & Lister, M. (Eds), The State: Theories
and Issues (39-58). US: Palgrave Macmillan
Simon, David R. (1999, 1996, 1993, 1990, 1986,1982). Elite Deviance. ViaCom
Company
Hagopian, Mark N. (1990). Ideals and Ideologies of Modern Politics
Shea, John C. (1984). American Government: The Great Game of Politics. New York: St.
Martins Press
Clement,

Wallace

(2006).

Elites.

Retrived

December

16,

2013,

from

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/article/elites/
Henrikson, Alan K. Elitism. http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/E-N/Elitism.html