ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a substantive account of the author's writing and updating of Who Rules America? over the past five decades. It is the story of an ongoing eclectic search for an understanding of power by a researcher with a strong empirical bent and a preference for "middle-range" theories over Grand Theory. The chapter includes a focused argument that looks backwards and thinks forward as the story of the American power structure continues to evolve. It amends and extends a book that first appeared in 1967 and concludes with the somewhat bold claim that the seventh version, published in 2014, still provides the best starting point for those who want to understand the ongoing changes in the constant battle for power and dominance in the United States. The chapter argues that it is a combination of insights provided by organizational and class concepts that explains the strength of the corporate rich in America, and makes them a dominant class.
