Merging Domains of the Power Elite: US Politics and Oil

By Anonymous

By Cynthia Oyarce


 According to C. Wright Mills, the power elite refer to individuals whose positions allow them to transcend the influence of ordinary people. In other words, their decisions (and lack of decisions) have major consequences on society at large, especially when compared to the decision-making of the average person. There are three main areas in which the American power elite reside: the economic domain, the military domain, and the political domain. As "the typical institutional unit has become enlarged, has become administrative, and . . . has become centralized" within the big three, increased cooperation has also emerged between the three sectors (Mills 2002:7).

The picture above shows Rex W. Tillerson, former chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil, giving welcoming remarks during his first day as the U.S. Secretary of State. The economic influence of big oil is no secret, as oil executives have had a role to play in political decisions for decades. However, the willingness to let this connection be seen by the public has increased over the years. As the Secretary of State under the Trump administration, Tillerson was responsible for foreign policy decisions. Considering his former ties with countries such as Saudi Arabia and Russia, one has to wonder about the extent to which Tillerson's policies were influenced by oil economics. Tillerson's public role as a high-ranking government official is a clear indicator of the unification of the economic and political domains, which points to Mills' claim that the three main domains will coordinate their actions in order to realize their shared interests.



Works Referenced

Mills, C. Wright. 2002. The Power Elite. London, UK: Oxford. 

U.S. Department of State from United States - Secretary Tillerson Delivers Welcome Remarks to State Department Employees on his First Day, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55844748


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Show Her It's a Man's World": Advertising the Power Dynamics in Marriage

By
Image
  The image above includes two ads side by side, a project curated by artist and photographer Eli Rezkallah as part of a photo series called “In a Parallel Universe.” The ad to the left features a man lying in bed, his arms propped up, hands behind his head in a relaxed manner. Several white pillows prop him up, and white sheets cover his legs. He wears a white button-up shirt and a colorful tie, looking contently off into the distance. Below him, a woman, presumably his wife, kneels beside his bed, wearing a pink bathrobe. She looks up at him and is depicted in the process of placing a tray before him, featuring plates of food, a teapot, and a cup. Black text in the upper left corner of the image reads, “show her it’s a man’s world” and the bottom of the image displays a larger drawing of a tie and the words “Van Heusen” and “man’s world.” The second ad, on the right, exhibits a woman lying in a white-sheeted bed and propped up by many pillows. Like the man in the other ad, she si...
Read more

Chains of Power and Presidential Portraits

By
Image
  A presidential portrait is a tradition which solidifies a president's position in history as a person but also a symbol of America and democracy. Because of the exceptional symbolic weight of a presidential portrait it is a good image to analyze when considering power, particularly the concept of the King's two bodies. In interpreting the above portrait I will use Reed's definition of interpretation, "...Understanding the relationship between means, ends, and projects possessed by actors and used to direct their actions is interpretation" (Reed 2017:92). Unlike many other portraits which show a president staring into the distance, Obama's portrait shows him making direct eye-contact with the viewer. The portrait is life sized which adds to the feeling that the viewer is engaged in a conversation which Obama is listening to. Obama leaning forward slightly with his legs in an open stance suggests he is open to listening. By connecting with the view...
Read more

US-China Hostility and National Civil Solidarity

By
Image
     The image above accompanies a piece in the Global Times titled, "US irrational hostility toward China a coldly rational ploy". Accordingly, the image depicts a charged face-off of between a bald eagle and panda bear, meant to represent the United States and China respectively. The eagle's brow is sharply furrowed, pupil directed menacingly at its opponent. Its beak is set in a grimace, harsh lines contributing to its severe disposition. Across the border, the normally docile image of a panda is perverted with the black spot over its eye distorted to resemble a knitted brow. The edge of its mouth is drawn down in an angry frown as it glares at the eagle. The two animals are set against a backdrop of the American and Chinese flags, the two countries literally competing for space within the frame. A sharp diagonal line cuts through the tension, separating the two opposing sides. In this struggle, the red, white, and blue of the American flag appear to overpower the red...
Read more