G. W. Domhoff Theory Of Social Power

Laws are rules that tell us what we have to do and what we cannot do. Laws are produced by a series of political processes. They are written by Legislatures. Once written, Executives make the rules about how the laws are carried out. Federal Laws must be passed by the House of Representatives and Senate and then signed by the President. Every state has similar procedures. Another way to make a law is by the Referendum or the people. This occurs when a group of people come together with a common cause. If they obtain enough signatures, they can have a potential law placed on a ballot for the people to vote on. Like many other things, social power has an effect on the law. Issues concerning more of the upper-middle and upper classes often receive more attention and will be approached differently.
A few people in the criminal justice system have come up with theories regarding social power and law. C. W. Mills constructed the theory of Power Elite and Control and G.W. Domhoff came up with Capitalist Classes and Influences. Both of these theories share very similar ideas. Their research looks at how social networks of families occupy the powerful positions in government as well as other fields. This is then passed down to their children. People within these networks often attend the same schools, same universities and often intermarry. This creates a very tight knit group of people filling board positions and making major decisions. For example, multiple generations of Kennedy, Bush, and Madigan families have been occupying political positions for several years. When looking at the demographics of law makers, it is evident that social power plays a significant