Who Rules America?
Who Rules America? is a book by research psychologist and sociologist G. William Domhoff, Ph.D., published in 1967 as a best-seller (#12). "WRA" is frequently assigned as a sociology textbook and documents the dangerous concentration of power and wealth in the American upper class. More recent editions have brought the discussion up to date and include the rise of Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and the trend toward white nationalism in the Republican Party. Summary. Domhoff argues in the book(s) that a power elite wields power in America transparently through its support of think-tanks, foundations, commissions , and academic departments. Additionally, he argues that the elite control institutions through overt authority, not through covert influence. In his introduction, Domhoff writes that the book was inspired by the work of four previous researchers: sociologists E. Digby Baltzell, C. Wright Mills, economist Paul Sweezy, and political scientist Robert A. Dahl. The University of California, Santa Cruz hosts Domhoff's "Who Rules America?" web site. Publication history. The original edition was followed by seven subsequent editions: