The “Power Elite”: Two Views

In Power Elite one may discern three tasks: (1) to describe the locus of power and its organization in American society, (2) to interpret this power configuration, explain its causes and the direction of its movement, (3) to pass judgment on it. These are no mean tasks, and to accomplish any one of them is to write an important book. In my opinion, Mills accomplishes the first task but falls short of the others. Conflict between his convictions or values on the one hand, and his theory (with its implicit values) on the other hand, renders his interpretation ambiguous and inconclusive. Likewise, his moral judgment of the power system is ineffectual—for while his indignation is genuine enough and the power elite is guilty as charged, his denunciation of its “irresponsibility” has no ground in the context of his theory.

Still, even the one task accomplished raises Power Elite to the rank of an important book. Reviewers from Center and Right have f...