Power elite, bureaucracy, pressure groups and political parties
Key points
- Power elite (C. Wright Mills)
- Bureaucracy and politics
- Pressure groups functions
- Political party systems
Previous year questions
Questions asked from this topic in UPSC Sociology Optional:
- Are pressure groups a threat to or a necessary element of democracy? Explain with suitable illustrations.
- What would you identify as the similarities and differences in the elite theories of Mosca, Michels and Pareto? Discuss their main/crucial issues.
- What, according to Robert Michels, is the iron law of oligarchy? Do lions and foxes in Vilfredo Pareto's theory, essentially differ from each other? Substantiate.
- Is Weber's idea of bureaucracy a product of the historical experiences of Europe? Comment.
- Critically examine the relevance of Vilfredo Pareto’s theory of Circulation of Elites in the present scenario.
- According to Mills, "Elite’s rule in institutional terms rather than psychological terms." Comment.
- Discuss the concept of circulation of elite.
- What, according to Pareto, are the basic characteristics of elites? Discuss.
- Examine the dynamics of pressure groups in multi-party- political system.
- Discuss the importance of 'power elite' in democracy.
- Distinguish between Political Parties and Pressure Groups.