Author Question: Describe the iron law of oligarchy and explain why bureaucratic hierarchies and oligarchies go hand ... (Read 49 times)

Jipu 123 · **on:** Jul 2, 2018

Describe the iron law of oligarchy and explain why bureaucratic hierarchies and oligarchies go hand in hand.

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Inequalitarian pluralism describes a situation in which specific ethnic groups are set apart from the dominant group and have unequal access to power and privilege. This pattern is also referred to as __________.

a. miscegenation
b. segregation
c. accommodation
d. incompatibility

Chelseyj.hasty · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 2, 2018

Answer to Question 1

According to political sociologist Robert Michels, all organizations

encounter the iron law of oligarchythe tendency to become a

bureaucracy ruled by the few.

His central idea was that those who control bureaucracies not only wield power but also

have an interest in retaining their power. According to Michels, the hierarchical structures of

bureaucracies and oligarchies go hand in hand. On the one hand, power may be

concentrated in the hands of a few people because rank-and-file members must inevitably

delegate a certain amount of decision-making authority to their leaders. On the other hand,

oligarchy may result when individuals have certain outstanding qualities that make it

possible for them to manage, if not control, others. The members choose to look to their

leaders for direction; the leaders are strongly motivated to maintain their power and

privileges.

Answer to Question 2

b