The Palgrave Handbook of Political Elites

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxi

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2. The Palgrave Handbook of Political Elites: Introduction

   • Heinrich Best, John Higley

   Pages 1-6

3. Theories of Political Elites

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 7-7

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   2. The Development of Elite Theory

      • Jan Pakulski

      Pages 9-16

   3. Classical Elite Theory: Pareto and Weber

      • Jan Pakulski

      Pages 17-24

   4. Continuities and Discontinuities in Elite Theory

      • John Higley

      Pages 25-39

   5. Political Elites and Democracy

      • András Körösényi

      Pages 41-52

   6. Theory-Based Typologies of Political Elites

      • Ursula Hoffmann-Lange

      Pages 53-68

4. Research Methods for Studying Elites

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 69-69

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   2. Research Methods for Studying Elites

      • Elena Semenova

      Pages 71-77

   3. Methods of Elite Identification

      • Ursula Hoffmann-Lange

      Pages 79-92

   4. Surveying and Observing Political Elites

      • Juan Rodríguez-Teruel, Jean-Pascal Daloz

      Pages 93-113

   5. Temporal Methods in Political Elite Studies

      • Sebastian Jäckle, Matthew Kerby

      Pages 115-133

   6. Analyses of Elite Networks

      • Franziska Barbara Keller

      Pages 135-152

5. Political Elite Patterns in the World’s Main Regions

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 153-153

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   2. Patterns of Political Elites

      • John Higley

      Pages 155-159

   3. Pre-modern Power Elites: Princes, Courts, Intermediaries

      • Jeroen Duindam

      Pages 161-179

   4. Political Elites in the Middle East and North Africa

      • Clement M. Henry

      Pages 181-202

   5. Political Elites in South Asia

      • Philip Oldenburg

      Pages 203-223

   6. Political Elites in Southeast Asia

      • William Case

      Pages 225-240

This handbook presents a comprehensive view of the current theory and research surrounding political elites, which is now a pivotal subject for academic study and public discourse. In 40 chapters by leading scholars, it displays the field’s richness and diversity. The handbook is organized in six sections, each introduced by a co-editor, focusing on theories about political elites, methods for studying them, their main structural and behavioral patterns worldwide, the differentiation and integration of political elite sectors, elite attributes and resources, and the dilemmas of political elites in this century. Forty years since Robert Putnam’s landmark Comparative Study of Political Elites, this handbook is an indispensable resource for scholars and students engaged in the study of this vibrant field.

• elite theories
• Political Elites in the Democratic West
• Political Elites in Authoritarian Regimes
• Political Elites in Totalitarian Regimes
• parliamentary elites
• elitist politics
• media elites
• political power of elites
• Autonomy of Political Elites
• political power of economic elites
• elitist networks
• elite network analysis
• classical elite theory
• neo-elite theory
• political authority
• transational elitism

“The introduction addresses the definition of political elites and changes in the scholarly treatment of political elites since the mid-twentieth century. … The book includes with an extensive, cross-referenced index. This is a scholarly enterprise. The writing level reflects the target audience, college students and above. Highly recommended.” (American Reference Books Annual ARBA, June, 2018)

“Scholars have recognized for centuries that elites are the key drivers of political change. In this handbook, Best, Higley and colleagues deliver everything one needs to know about the roles and dynamics of modern elites and how to study them.  This is an essential reference for anyone analyzing comparative politics, international relations, or theories of governance.” (Professor Jack A. Goldstone, George Mason University, USA)

• Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany

  Heinrich Best

• University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

  John Higley

John Higley is Emeritus Professor of Government and Sociology at the University of Texas at Austin, USA. From 2001-2012, he chaired the International Political Science Association’s Research Committee on Political Elites. His most recent book is The Endangered West: Myopic Elites and Fragile Social Orders in a Threatening World (2016). 

Heinrich Best is Senior Professor of Sociology at the Friedrich-Schiller-University in Jena, Germany. Since 2012 he has chaired the International Political Science Association’s Research Committee on Political Elites. His most recent book is Political Elites in the Transatlantic Crisis (2014, with J. Higley)

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