ABSTRACT
There are three main theories of power structure in the US: pluralist theory, which argues that power is distributed evenly across groups; state-centered theory, which contends that power is concentrated within the state; and elite-power theory, which posits that business owners and the wealthy upper class rule. This chapter critically assesses these theories with both logic and statistical evidence from the field, and concludes that elite-power theory is the best explanation of power structure in the contemporary US.
