C. Wright Mills discusses the path the power elite takes in the United States: they attend the prestigious universities, belong to elite university clubs (Skull and Crossbones, etc) and work in the military, government or corporations and these jobs often overlap. Instead of discussing an elite based upon inherited wealth and status, Mill examines the ways in which the elite utilize institutions to create wealth. Does a power elite exist in the US currently? Who occupies these positions of power (give specific examples)? Do positions of power overlap between corporations, the government and the military? If they do, is this problematic? How does the idea of the power elite relate to current class struggles, like the Occupy movement?
