Includes index.

1. The Irony of Democracy -- 2. The Founding Fathers: The Nation's First Elite -- 3. The Evolution of American Elites -- 4. Positions of Power in America -- 5. Elites and Masses: The Shaky Foundations of Democracy -- 6. Elite-Mass COmmunication: Television, The Press, and the Pollsters -- 7. American Political Parties: A System in Decay -- 8. Elections: Imperfect Instruments of Accountability -- 9. Organized Interests: Defenders of the Status Quo -- 10. The Presidency -- 11. The Bureaucratic Elite and Public Apology -- 12. Congress: The Legislative Elite -- 13. Courts: Elites in Black Robes -- 14. American Federalism: Elites in States and Communities -- 15. Protest Movements: Challenge to Dominant Elites -- Epilogue: Four Views on the Irony of Democracy -- Preserving Democratic Values in An Elitist System -- The United States in Comparative Perspective -- Elite Theory and Democracy: A Populist Perspective -- Democratiya Delya Eliti )Democracy for the Elite) -- The Constitution of the United States of America

Dye, T. R., & Zeigler, H. (1987). The irony of democracy: An uncommon introduction to American politics (7th ed.). Brooks/Cole.