Elite circulation and the convertibility of knowledge: comparing different types and forms of knowledge and degrees of elite circulation in Europe

Bureaucratic power in note‐writing: authoritative expertise within the state

“…The interview guide was constructed for a broader study of the knowledge and skills that characterize and legitimize senior civil servant positions in the British, French and Norwegian central administration (Mangset , , ). James Spradley () argues that using descriptive questions in ethnographic interviewing provides richer data than more direct, analytical or normative questions.…”

“…To investigate the legitimatization of bureaucratic power, we would suggest examining what have been dubbed the ‘little tools’ of knowledge and central administration (Asdal ; Becker and Clark ). This may help us better understand the phenomena studied (Asdal , ; Mangset ; Mangset ). In taking Weber's concept of bureaucratic legal‐rational authority as based on competence and authority as our point of departure, we will thus argue for the need for an empirically based and nuanced development of the understanding of the relationship between competence, hierarchy and authority in the upper echelons of central public administration.…”

The Populist Elite Paradox: Using Elite Theory to Elucidate the Shapes and Stakes of Populist Elite Critiques

“…Elite theorists disagree on interpretations of the empirical situation in a given society at a particular time (e.g. how integrated American elites were in the 1950s) but generally agree on the normative stance that a plurality of elites is beneficial for democratic societies (Dahl, 1961;Mangset, 2017;Mills, 1956). The importance of the descriptive and analytical discussions on the degree of elite integration to modern elite theorists are important to this chapter as it allows better understanding these power relations and provides a foundation for discussing the normative issue of elites' legitimacy in democratic societies.…”

“…Contrary to populist ideological understandings of today's power relations, the degree to which elite groups are integrated and have the capacity for collective action is likely to vary between countries and through history. The institutional structures for recruitment, career patterns and relations between sectors vary by country and time; so do the conditions for elite integration (Hartmann, 2010;Mangset, 2017). Close analyses also show different modes of elite integration (Engelstad, 2018).…”

“…Furthermore, elite theory demonstrates the usefulness of explicitly discussing which mechanisms can be relevant to increasing, preventing or decreasing integration of elite groups (for more, see Engelstad, 2018;Mangset, 2017). A useful point of departure may be John Scott's (2008) description of the mechanisms of elite integration and power concentration:…”