What is elitist theory?
The American democracy is not run by the people. Even though every citizen is entitled the right
to political participation and membership in different kinds of organizations, only a small portion
of the population actually shapes policy and makes binding decisions. This is one of the main
assertions made by the elitist theory. This theory describes how elites “govern” the United States
democracy and places masses – the other side of this populational dichotomy – in a position
where they have little, or even no, influence over the government and the country’s direction.
Elitism represents an opposite view to pluralism. Pluralistic theory argues that there is an
ongoing competition among groups trying to determine policy