Ruling class

A social group that holds dominant political and economic power and shapes a society’s institutions and policies.

Social reproduction: The processes through which social structures, inequalities, and relationships are maintained across generations. Inherited wealth, education, and networks help reproduce ruling-class advantages.
Plato's Republic: A philosophical dialogue in which Plato presents an ideal city governed by philosopher-rulers. Its guardian class is an early influential account of rule by a selected elite.
Karl Marx: A nineteenth-century philosopher and political economist whose work analyzed capitalism, class conflict, and historical change. Marx made ownership of productive property central to his account of ruling power.
Ruling class theory: The view that a socially dominant class exercises political control in ways that protect its interests. It is the specific theoretical claim that a ruling class exists and governs.
Economic inequality: The unequal distribution of income, wealth, or economic resources among people or groups. Concentrated ownership gives ruling groups material advantages over other classes.
State capture: The systematic shaping of public policy and institutions to serve private interests. It describes one route by which powerful groups convert influence into policy.
The Communist Manifesto: An 1848 political pamphlet by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels that analyzes class struggle and calls for communist revolution. It frames ruling power through ownership and conflict between social classes.
Friedrich Engels: A German philosopher and political theorist who collaborated with Karl Marx on influential socialist works. Engels co-authored foundational analyses of class society and political rule.
Pluralism: A theory of politics in which power is dispersed among competing groups and institutions. Pluralism challenges the idea that one class consistently dominates political decisions.
Legitimacy (political): The recognized rightfulness of a government or political authority. Durable class rule depends not only on force but also on accepted authority.

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