Maria Emelda J. Ytac

BSED III-1

WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS OFPOLITICAL ELITE?

PoliticiansOpinion leaders and influence

wieldersSenior civil servants

HOW ELITES ARE SELECTED?

A key concern is whether the political elite is selected on the basis of ascription or achievement.

Ascriptive patterns of recruitment- these are the characteristics of more traditional societies, they become political leaders because of birth or age rather than what they have personally achieved.

Achievement based recruitment- these are the individuals own achievements or skills. They base their entry into politics on their own skills, interpersonal relations or leadership

WHO ARE THE POLITICAL ELITES?

They are the ones who dominate the political processes and make politicsand government full time career.

HOW ASPIRING PEOPLE REACHTHE TOP LEVELS OF POLITICS?

Democratic State

Aspiring public officials need only to declare themselves as candidates and seek party’s nomination in the primary elections. Also they need money, well-connected and name familiarity.

Political Parties Aspiring politicians serve apprenticeship in

local politics and internal party offices before running for national officers.

Communist States

The top political elite were individual who had made careers in the party.

Authoritarian Systems

3 Pathways to political leadership Patron client systems Civil service Military

WHO GETS RECRUITED? Those who attain political leadership

are from the middle and upper classes.

Those who are more prosperous than the rest of the population

Those who are better educated than others.

Those who are overwhelmingly more male then the general adult population

WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS OF ELITE STYLE?

Legitimacy- a key quality of elites which they are regarded as the rightful.

Political style of leadership Persuasion Use of material rewards Compliance through the use of law, police and

military power.

Open and Closed Elites

Political elites are relatively closed bodies that are not easily penetrated by outsiders who want to become involved.

The elites are open in the sense that outsiders have multiple opportunities to enter the elite.

WHAT IS SUCCESSION?

It is the process of changing leadership. It involves 3 stages:

Vacating of power by the old rulerSelection of a new leaderLegitimation of the new leader.

Reference:Wilson, Frank L. Concepts and Issues in Comparative Politics

Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Simon&Schuster Publishing, Inc. 1996