Domhoff on the Ruling Class

Carrol Cox cbcox at ilstu.edu
Mon Aug 19 04:37:12 PDT 2002


billbartlett at dodo.com.au wrote:
>
> >From this letter, it seems William Domhoff is basing his conception of the ruling class on the idea that such a class rules politically. Of course the capitalist ruling class rules economically. Any formal or informal political or social connections are merely incidental, such links are not the basis for their power.
>

Domhoff is not a marxist, but he is a shrewd observer of real appearances. His sort of analysis can flesh out a marxist understanding in a useful way, in contrast to endless fussing about whether Jackie O is a capitalist or what is the precise relationship between rentiers and stock-owning ceos etc etc etc. Also, it is incorrect to make a sharp distinction between "economics" and "politics." The separation (partly real, partly illusory) of "politics" and "economics" is a distinctive feature of capitalism.

Carrol



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