ABSTRACT
Local governments are important in rural communities, but the elected officials may not always be the focus of power. Power is the ability to make something happen that otherwise would not or to prevent something from happening over the opposition of others. Three of the theoretical perspectives on power are described: pluralism, elitism, and growth-machine theory. Another key idea for understanding the nature of power in communities is local versus absentee-owned private-sector firms. It is important to understand that each of the three theories has strengths and limitations and no one theory can provide the "true" picture of power relationships in a community. This chapter helps reader to define and contrast the principal theories of community power: elitism, pluralism, and the growth machine theory. It also helps them distinguish between formal and informal power in a community and understand the relationship between informal power and agenda setting.
