Political elites seem almost as powerful. Closely connected to economic elites through campaign contributions and lobbying, they have found numerous ways to insulate themselves from democratic accountability. All parts of the national government, from Congress to the courts, are to some degree removed from popular democratic values. The policy process itself tends to reflect the existing unequal distribution of power. Periodically, however, popular democratic mobilizations challenge their power.
Elites often make big mistakes which ordinary citizens usually pay for.
The twin disasters of Watergate and Vietnam and short-sighted corporate behavior, among other examples, demonstrate that the people are not well served when elites make important decisions without democratic controls. American political values call into question elite wisdom and power. The idea that concentrated power is dangerous to liberty is central to the American political tradition. Both at home and around the world, democracy has become increasingly difficult to resist. Its inclusionary logic and emphasis on equality have largely won the battle for symbolic preeminence.