Who rules America? Compare the two competing answers to this question offered in Chapter 10.

Chapter 10 contrasted a theory of pluralism with a theory of the power elite.
According to the theory of pluralism, power is held by a variety of organizations and institutions such as corporations, political parties, professional organizations, and ethnic and religious groups. Each organization is assumed to have roughly equal access to the power structure, and a system of checks and balances in the form of laws, policies, and the courts keeps any one group from having too much power over the others.
According to theories of the power elite, a small group that occupies the top positions of control within the economic, political, and military institutions of the country makes the most important decisions. The members of the elite have the full weight of their institutions at their disposal. Thus, their actions have tremendous implications for practically the entire population. The best answers will mention that C. Wright Mills is closely associated with the theory of the power elite.