ABSTRACT
This introduction provides an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book situates Who Rules America? within the context of the theories of power. When social scientists first turned their attention to the study of the structure and distribution of power in the United States, they began with two very different theories, pluralism and Marxism, both of which have deep historical roots. According to pluralism, the absence of a more hierarchal power structure in the United States is made possible by several factors, including the separation of ownership from the day-to-day managerial control of corporations that is carried out by well-trained hired executives, along with the lack of a large, unifying business association to bring together the many different types of businesses. Historical institutionalists bring the government-society relationship to the forefront, rather than starting with societal impacts on government, as is the case in pluralist and Marxist theories.
