Who Rules America? | American Society | Documentary | Democracy

Sixty years ago, the pioneering American sociologist C. Wright Mills published “The Power Elite,” igniting a fierce debate on who exercises real power in America. He argued that the government was controlled by special interests outside the government. These issues have taken on new meaning with the growth of powerful media networks, the expansion of military and corporate power, and the dominant role played by Wall Street and big money in U.S. politics. At 0:00, the episode explores the complex nature of power in American society today. At 24:03, it turns back the clock to examine the evolution of democracy in the United States. At 48:09, it examines the relationship between powerful corporate entities and power in America.