The Elite and Pluralist Approach to Governance - 2212 Words

This essay seeks to explain the Elitist and Pluralist approaches to governance and advance both positive and negative sides for each approach. It shall begin by defining the major terms/ concepts Governance, Elitist and Pluralist. The essay shall then explain in detail the two approaches respectively. Then it shall highlight the positives (merits) and negatives (demerits) for each approach. Finally the essay shall give a conclusion based on the main points of the essay. Governance is the activity or process of making policy decisions and implementing them or the ability of government to create and implement public policy. It describes the mechanisms government uses to ensure that the citizenly follow and abide by its established policies†¦show more content†¦The civil elite on the other hand are the unelected officials, the bureaucrats, the civil servants, who have no political mandate but are appointed into positions based on their educational and professional attainments; for instance: the Secretary to the Cabinet, the Permanent secretaries, etc. These two elite groups function jointly in making policy decisions, controlling and guiding the affairs of the country. The political elite make the policies while the civil elite implement or actually do the running of the affairs of the country. The civil elite, by virtue of their qualifications, professionalism, and research, take the role of administration because they are well informed and experienced than their counterparts. They initiate, plan/draft and implement the policies made by the political executive. Because they are well informed, they are advisors to the political elites where need arises. They give political education to the masses and set certain model standards in society and in this they enlighten the people and thus preserve and promote the culture. Birch, A.(1993; pg 6). The Pluralist approach arose from a protest against what was seen as monolithic and overbearing state sovereignty. The protestors’ demand was that state power ought to be shared among/with social groups. The pluralist fear was of a society in which the state was the sole centre of power. The desired goal was one of a decentralized and associative society that would involve every memberShow MoreRelatedMedia Studies1668 Words   |  7 PagesStudies (Media and Society) SLLS1005 Word Count: Two opposing views on the role of media in society have thus far dominated media studies: the Marxist and liberal-pluralist perspectives. Simply, Marxist theorists see the role of the mass media as a means of maintaining the existing state of affairs, while the liberal pluralists see the role of the mass media as a means to promote the freedom of speech. The following essay will look more closely into the theories of these two schools with regardsRead MoreExploring Political Issues1535 Words   |  7 PagesTiger through the opinions of the both the Elitist, Marxist and pluralist approaches. The first theory to be defined is pluralism. This theory governs political science with its emphasis on diversity of groups and interests within the state; it precludes any one group from taking control and dominating. Distinction between political and economic power is evident; between civil society and the state. The pluralist approach states that power is shared between different groups in societyRead MoreMarxism And The State : An Analytical Approach Essay745 Words   |  3 PagesPaul Wetherly is a member of Social Sciences faculty of Leeds Becket University, where he is teaching Introduction to Governance; Political Ideologies and Movements; and The State; Theories, Issues Challenges. He is also a member of the Marxism Specialist Group. Some of his work in Marxist politics theory are a book, Marxism and the State: An Analytical Approach (Wetherly, 2005); a chapter in the book, â€Å"Can Capitalists Use the State to Serve Their General Interests?† (Wetherly, 2008); and someRead MoreAnalyzing Two Theories of Business Power4120 Words   |  16 PagesTwo Theories of Business Power Introduction The Dominance and the Pluralist Theories led to the development of socialism and liberalism respectively. The two theories had notable differences, almost contrasting one another. For us to analyze and contrast the two theories, it is notable to understand the fundamental perceptions of Dominance and the Pluralism. Connolly and Connolly (2010) argue that we can define the dominance theory as the theory of Marxist, advanced by Karl Max. This theory hasRead MoreIs Power Central to Understanding Politics?2270 Words   |  10 Pagespolitical science. The concept of power has gained prominence in the recent times especially with emergence of Behaviouralism as a method of studying politics. It focuses on the study of politics as a process or activity with an interdisciplinary approach. The debate on the centrality of the concept of power for understanding the politics is the interaction with the different space and time. And the intervention of Foucault comes in this way as a breakthrough from the conventional notions of powerRead MoreA Common Source Of Conflict Essay1526 Words   |  7 Pagesrecognize that there are several religious groups living within their borders so they strive to be a pluralist country, a country where there is more than just one center of power, which in India s case are Mu slims, Hindus, and Christians. While this approach looks good in theory, it leaves critical matters such as marriage, dowry, and property rights solely in the hands of religious leaders. This approach allows for the subjectivity of religion to be exploited and removes the checks and balances systemRead MoreMarxism and Pluralism Views on Media1826 Words   |  8 PagesGurevitch, Woollacott 2006:1). This essay will discuss these theories, namely the liberal-pluralist and Marxist approaches as well as the role of media in society according to these approaches. Marxism takes the view that media has an undisputable influence over society and that this helps preserve differences of power between social groups based on class, race and gender. (Burton, 2002:48). The Marxist approach stresses the power of the media to control people in society, based on the ‘base-superstructure’Read More Colombian Democracy Essay5929 Words   |  24 Pagesof the birthplace of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s magical realism: â€Å"armed conflict† and â€Å"political democracy.† These phenomena are a defining feature of modern Colombia. They have coexisted since 1958 when the National Front political pact ended intra-elite conflict in La Violencia but failed to guarantee a stable social order. In a sense, Colombian society was never successfully â€Å"pacified† in the way its neighboring nations were. The question of whether and how these two realities will be linked in theRead MoreSocial Media And Political Engagement2000 Words   |  8 Pagesinequality that can help broaden the space for their political participation. Therefore, young people may be found working at the grassroots level through NGOs and CSOs, intergroup dialogue, or fulfilling a watchdog role in order to hold political elites accountable, as well as through their membership in political parties. Through social media young people can not only increase their participation in democratic life and become politically active, but also are able to convey their messages and holdRead MoreEuropean Integration And The European Union2920 Words   |  12 Pagesthemselves in several schools of thought, out of which there are two dominant ones- intergovernmentalism and neo-functionalism. The former was first mentioned by Stanley Hoffmann- professor of Harvard University and then picked up by others. The latter approach was introduced by Ernst Bernard Haas- a German-American scientist. Both approaches capture at least some of the essence of the EU today, however it is also fair to say that they are out of date, and have less adequate explanations of the process