ABSTRACT
The extent and shape of elite integration in stable democracies are among the most persistent and controversial issues in political analysis. Committee’ structures—the numerous, small, face-to-face groups of mainly elite actors that persist over time—handle continuous flows of decisions and avoid winner-take-all, majority rule decisionmaking. National elites can be thought of as operating through intricate systems of discrete, informal, flexible, but still significantly cohesive influence circles that form around and across issues and institutions. Involving repeated but mainoy informal and often indirect interactions on common policy issues and purposes, elite influence circles achieve a significant amount of integration without, however, having a designated or permanent set of leaders. Consistent with theoretical orientation, the interviews gathered data on policy activities, attitudes, involvement in elite communication networks, and social backgrounds. Consistent with the thesis of relatively comprehensive integration of national elites in stable democracies, representatives of all important institutional sectors belong to the elite networks and central circles in each country.
