Elitism: A Necessary Evil In The Development Of American Democracy

In his The Comparative Study of Elites, Harold Lasswell said:“Government isalways government by the few, whether in the name of the few, the one, or the many.”The division of a society into the elite and the masses is self-evident and universal,and this division has been in existence ever since the beginning of human civilization.The elite and elitism have played a significant role in the development of humansociety. In opposition to the elite is the masses, and the democratic theory is a theoryfor the masses which also enjoyed centuries of development. The democratic theorycelebrates majority rule and the rights of minorities, individual dignity and liberty, andthe equality of all people, which are all morally praised by the masses. However,democracy’s prevalence does not eliminate the existence of the elite. Elitism arguesthat the emergence and development of democracy might have weakened the role andinfluence of the elite on the surface, but the elite still play a great role in thedevelopment of human society, exerting both negative and positive influences. Elitismis an evil in the development of democracy, because the elite might take advantage oftheir privileged position and satisfy their own demands at the expense of the masses.However, elitism is also necessary. Because history has shown again and again thatthe elite could play far greater roles in social development and changes than themasses, and it is the elite who are often found leading the great events. Elitism couldgreatly promote the development of democracy. This study focuses on an analysis ofelitism as a necessary evil in the democratic history of the United States and how theevil side of elitism might be constrained.