The Power Elite [Paperback]

First published in 1956,The Power Elitestands as a contemporary classic of social science and social criticism. C. Wright Mills examines and critiques the organization of power in the United States, calling attention to three firmly interlocked prongs of power: the military, corporate, and political elite.The Power Elitecan be read as a good account of what was taking place in America at the time it was written, but its underlying question of whether America is as democratic in practice as it is in theory continues to matter very much today.

WhatThe Power Eliteinformed readers of in 1956 was how much the organization of power in America had changed during their lifetimes, and Alan Wolfe's astute afterword to this new edition brings us up to date, illustrating how much more has changed since then. Wolfe sorts out what is helpful in Mills' book and which of his predictions have not come to bear, laying out the radical changes in American capitalism, from intense global competition and the collapse of communism to rapid technological transformations and ever changing consumer tastes.The Power Elitehas stimulated generations of readers to think about the kind of society they have and the kind of society they might want, and deserves to be read by every new generation.

A classic...the first full-scale study of the structure and distribution of power in the Unites States by a sociologist using the full panoply of modern-day sociological theory and methods. --Contemporary Sociology

The lateC. Wright Mills, Professor of Sociology at Columbia University, was a leading critic of modern American civilization.Alan Wolfeis University Professor and Professor of Political Science and Sociology at Boston University. He is the author or editor of more than ten books, includingMarginalized in the MiddleandOne Nation, After All.