Issues on European Political elites

1. Issues on European Political elites Luca Verzichelli PhDSociology and Political Science - SNS Academicyear 2016-2017

2. Old and new Elitism • Mosca [1896] and the idea of the Rulingclass • Pareto [1916] and the dynamicsof the Elite circulation • Michels [1911] and the ironlawofoligarchy • Weber and Shumpeter are alsoconsideredclassicelitistsalthoughtheirnotionof elite isalready “contemporary”. • The debate in North America betweenpluralistsand elitistsand most of the behaviouralistscholars are inspired by the Europeantheory of elites • Even a “neo-marxistelitism”? • A newparadigm? Robert Putnam [1976] claimsfor a comparative and empiricalapproach. Later, Higley and Field propose a newtheoreticalperspectivebased on “newelitism”

3. Political change and the problem of Elite circulation • The notionfromPareto [1916]: challenging elite groups (lions and foxes). Circulationas a “normal” pace of elite change • Politicsas a Profession [Weber 1919]. Politicalorganizationsshould be able to control the selection of the new elites  the idea of politicalprofessionalisation • The democratisationofelites [Putnam 1976]. Still the time of politicalprofessionalisationbut with new (technical) skills.  the idea of politicalaccountability • The new elitism [Higley and Field 1980]: elite settlementas the mosteffective driver of politicalstability  the idea of politicalattitude to bargain

4. How to measure elite change? • An oldquestion and differentanswers. Forinstance: quantitative measurementsofelite turnover, different impact ofelite accountability, studies on elite continuity, salienceofelite discourse • Recentdevelopments - increasing rate ofcirculation at the entry-level - stabilityof top-elite level and personalisationofpolitics - decreasing impact of party membershipbutincreasinginvolvementof party activists in leader selection

5. A typology of political change based on the rate of elite turnover Adapted by Best, Hausmann and Schmitt 2000

6. Slow but uninterrupted increase of parliamentary turnover in Europe (11 countries)

7. Elites and the questionofdemocratictransformation • New elitistapproachbuilt on Shumpeter and Lasswell (Sartori, the theoryofdemocracyrevisited, 1987) • Different focus on elite theoryfrom the studiesofdemocraticdynamics (Huntington, the Thirdwave, 1991 vs. Przeworski and others) • Focus on policy outcomes and transformationof policy communities (differentapproaches) • Cultural and historicalpathdependencies (Putnam, Beliefs of politicians, 1976; Makingdemocracyworks, 1993, Bowling alone, 2000) • Elite centredtheoriesnotmentioningelites: - Actor-centredinstitutionalism - Rationalchoiceinstitutionalism

8. Persistentemphasis on elites’ role …… butwith some variations Elites should rule. But they are differently responsible and differently stratifies (experts, networks, interactions …). Citizens choose between elite proposals but by means of different democratic tools. Result should be an efficient government but with new system of control over elite’s action. Politics is still too (or even more) complex for average citizens. But we should avoid apathy

9. Redefining all the representative institutionsChallenges to elites or other? • Reintroducing the argument of the decline of representative institutions (quest for participatoy democracy and deliberative democracy) • Decline of party-democracy and emphasis on public opinion (Manin) • Counter-democracy and new social pluralism (Rosanvallon) • Still a relevant role of representative institution but challenges from social complexity, immigration, etc.