The Benefits of Living in a Democracy

When someone thinks about the upper class, the majority of people may think about living in a big house or driving a nice car. But in truth, as G. William Domhoff explains in his book, “Who Rules America?”, there is an upper class that is much more than that. Domhoff describes the upper class as closely intertwined with the corporate community. He begins by explaining why it is important to know this, and provides statistics that seem to show how the upper class attempts to influence corporations. Domhoff states that from grade school to grad school, upper class children are trained to excel in the corporate level, giving them an advantage in obtaining the highest positions in the corporate world. Domhoff also explains how the upper class meets together in social clubs, which only the most powerful and influential individuals may join. Using this evidence, as well as several others, Domhoff is able to support his theory that the upper class is intertwined with the corporate world.

Domholff begins his argument by stating the significance of demonstrating connectivity between the upper class and corporations. Domhoff states the first reason as, “it refutes the widely accepted idea that there has been a separation between corporate ownership and control in the United States” (49). This would successfully prove that there is one part of the upper class that separates itself from the others. This would be significant because this group of upper class do not refer themselves as upper class. In fact, many of these people do not like to talk about class at all and certainly do not admit as being in the upper class. The upper class Domhoff refers will be proven to control huge corporations and holding companies. As he states, “the fact that the corporate community in closely linked to the upper class makes it possible to convert economic power into social power…” (49). Although this class holds a lot of power, there is no evil plan or conspiracy. The main goal of