truly serve the ruling class in so far as it is relatively autonomous from the diverse fractions of this class, precisely in order to be able to organise the hegemony of the whole of this class' (7). This ties in with the idea that Elster puts forward that it may be in the best interests of the dominant class to abdicate power to the state. While Elster's class balance theory claims that the state can be autonomous from the dominant class, Poulantzas shows that the autonomy gained by the state is used in the interests of the dominant class. In order to explain why the state acts in the interests of the bourgeoisie, even though it may have a large degree of political autonomy, Miliband puts forward the idea of the 'circulation of elites' (8). This is the assertion that those who occupy high positions in the state originate from the dominant class. This can be explained by elitist schooling systems which are available to only the wealthy, and by the action of 'old-boy' networks, where personal connections help to advance position. The result of this is that the individuals in control of the state, and those at the top of the bourgeoisie have a common class background, and may even be personal friends. Miliband investigates Britain, the United States, France, Germany and Japan, and finds that the education system, and society in general are arranged so that the state is controlled by people who originate from the dominant class.