Murray Milner is Professor Emeritus of Sociology, and Senior Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia.

Elites deserves wide attention. Writing with exceptional clarity, Milner balances the simplicity of deep conceptual structures with an empirical complexity spanning three sharply contrasting civilizations. He emphasizes, against purely economic and political approaches, that elite status can be powerfully based on distinctive cultural competences, which in contemporary societies involve increasing visibility. This is the first really new theory of elites in many decades.Jeffrey C. Alexander, Yale University Professor Milner provides a powerful set of social science tools for those keen to understand many of the pressing issues we face today. These include those concerned with the rise of the 1% and the decline of the rest;  legalized corruption that deeply distorts our political process; and the influence of the military industrial complex.Amitai Etzioni, The George Washington University"In such historical circumstances, [… Elites: A General Model…] is not only timely and relevant, but also exciting. […] It is a refreshing contribution to the growing volume of elite-focused analyses of power and politics."Jan Pakulski, Books and Ideas

• PrefaceChapter 1. IntroductionChapter 2. The General ModelChapter 3. Traditional India: the Varna SchemeChapter 4. Athens in the Classical PeriodChapter 5. The U.S. 1980-2008: Economics and PoliticsChapter 6. The U.S. 1980-2008: Other ActorsChapter 7. The 2007-2009 Financial CrisisChapter 8. ConclusionsAppendix: Some Implications and Elaborations of the ModelReferences

Murray Milner is Professor Emeritus of Sociology, and Senior Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia.

Elites deserves wide attention. Writing with exceptional clarity, Milner balances the simplicity of deep conceptual structures with an empirical complexity spanning three sharply contrasting civilizations. He emphasizes, against purely economic and political approaches, that elite status can be powerfully based on distinctive cultural competences, which in contemporary societies involve increasing visibility. This is the first really new theory of elites in many decades.Jeffrey C. Alexander, Yale University Professor Milner provides a powerful set of social science tools for those keen to understand many of the pressing issues we face today. These include those concerned with the rise of the 1% and the decline of the rest;  legalized corruption that deeply distorts our political process; and the influence of the military industrial complex.Amitai Etzioni, The George Washington University"In such historical circumstances, [… Elites: A General Model…] is not only timely and relevant, but also exciting. […] It is a refreshing contribution to the growing volume of elite-focused analyses of power and politics."Jan Pakulski, Books and Ideas

• PrefaceChapter 1. IntroductionChapter 2. The General ModelChapter 3. Traditional India: the Varna SchemeChapter 4. Athens in the Classical PeriodChapter 5. The U.S. 1980-2008: Economics and PoliticsChapter 6. The U.S. 1980-2008: Other ActorsChapter 7. The 2007-2009 Financial CrisisChapter 8. ConclusionsAppendix: Some Implications and Elaborations of the ModelReferences