Which statement best describes the concept of a power elite?

Which statement best describes the concept of a power elite?

• A. Power is widely distributed across society.
• B. Power is concentrated in a small minority whose interests and backgrounds are similar and whose interlocking ties insure control of the economy and government.
• C. Conflict strategies are unnecessary.
• D. The elite have no real influence on policy.

Answer: (B)

Power concentrated in a small, interconnected minority is what this item is getting at. It describes Mills' power elite—the group of people who share similar backgrounds and interests and whose overlapping social and professional ties, spanning corporate, political, and military arenas, work to control the economy and government. This view emphasizes that influence is not spread evenly but kept within a limited circle that can steer policy and maintain its position. The other statements describe a different picture: power widely distributed, or a notion that conflict strategies aren’t needed, or that elites have no real influence. The description of a small minority with similar interests and interlocking ties that insures control best matches the power elite concept.

Power concentrated in a small, interconnected minority is what this item is getting at. It describes Mills' power elite—the group of people who share similar backgrounds and interests and whose overlapping social and professional ties, spanning corporate, political, and military arenas, work to control the economy and government. This view emphasizes that influence is not spread evenly but kept within a limited circle that can steer policy and maintain its position. The other statements describe a different picture: power widely distributed, or a notion that conflict strategies aren’t needed, or that elites have no real influence. The description of a small minority with similar interests and interlocking ties that insures control best matches the power elite concept.