Populism Vs Elitism Essay

5. Populism v. Elitism Populism is an ideology that emphasizes equitable distribution of economic, political, and cultural power. Its argues against unfair advantages held by anyone who may be considered an elite, and therefore the government should intervene to remedy the injustice. On the contrary, elitism is the belief that society is divided into classes and that the upper or elite class, based on ancestry and/or wealth, will rule. The debate between populism and elitism has been around since the beginning. One simple example was the discussion over whether George Washington should be called “Mr. President” or “Your Majesty”. In the early debates between Federalists and Anti-Federalists, the higher educated class was more drawn to the Federalists, while the uneducated, backcountry farmers called for equal representation under the Anti-Federalists. A 19th century example of tension between populism and elitism, is big business, Social Darwinism, and the formation of the Populist Party. During the 1800s, big businesses began to have booming success. Such as, Rockefeller with oil and Carnegie with steel. These business then began to integrate …show more content…
The division of the government into the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches ensures that one entity doesn’t have too much power which allows them to have more influence over the country. Congressional powers include approving treaties, impeaching the President, making laws, and declaring war. Congress has these powers that the President doesn’t because there are 535 educated people that make up Congress, while the President is only one person, and it would be absurd to rely on solely one person to make such big decisions. On the other hand, the President is given the power to veto or sign bills, grant pardons, nominate Cabinet members and Supreme Court Justices, and act as Commander-in-Chief during