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In sociology and in political science, the term "the establishment" describes the dominantsocial group, theelite who control apolity, an organization, or an institution. In thepraxis ofwealth andpower, the Establishment usually is a self-selecting, closed elite entrenched within specific institutions — hence, a relatively smallsocial class can exercise all socio-political control.[1]
In 1955, the journalistHenry Fairlie popularized the contemporary usage of the termThe Establishment to denote the network of socially prominent and politically important people:
By the 'Establishment' I do not mean only the centres of official power — though they are certainly part of it — but rather the whole matrix of official and social relations within which power is exercised. The exercise of power in Britain (more specifically, in England) cannot be understood unless it is recognised that it is exercised socially.[2]
Consequently, the termthe Establishment became common usage in the press of London;[3] TheOxford English Dictionary cites Fairlie's column originating the British usages of the termthe Establishment, as in theestablished church denoting the officialChurch of England.[4] Moreover, in sociologic jargon, anoutsider is the person who is not a member of The Establishment.[5][6]
The termestablishment is often used in Australia to refer both to the main political parties and also to the powers behind those parties. In the book,Anti-political Establishment Parties: A Comparative Analysis by Amir Abedi (2004),[7] Amir Abedi refers to theLabor Party and the Coalition Parties (theLiberal Party and theNational/Country Party) as the establishment parties.
The original Canadian Establishment began as a mix between the British and American models, combining political appointments and business acumen. InFrancophone Canada, the local leaders of theCatholic Church played a major role. TheFamily Compact is the first identifiable Canadian Establishment inAnglophone Canada.
The journalistPeter C. Newman defined the modern Canadian Establishment in his 1975 bookThe Canadian Establishment. It catalogued the richest individuals and families living in Canada at the time. All of the specific people he identified were prominent business leaders, especially in the media and in public transit. Newman reports that several of these old families have maintained their importance into the twenty-first century.[citation needed]
The term is also used inpolitics of Hong Kong, where political parties, community groups, chambers of commerce, trade unions and individuals who are cooperative with and loyal to theChinese Communist Party and the post-handoverHong Kong Government are labelled (most often self-labelled) "pro-Beijing" or "pro-establishment". The term first appeared in 2004.[8]
The term "Official Ireland" is commonly used in theRepublic of Ireland to denote the media, cultural and religious establishment.[9]
In Pakistan, the term "The Establishment" refers to themilitary and their relations with theintelligence community and high-level political officials that allow them to exert dominance over the government.
The United Kingdom has numerous entrenched groups that are regarded as forming the establishment: these include theroyal family, thearistocracy, thelanded gentry, prestigiouspublic schools likeEton College andHarrow School, theprivy council,senior civil servants, lawyers, academics,Church of England clergy, financiers, industrialists, the armed services and other professionals.[10][11][12]
In the United States, the termthe establishment typically refers to thetwo-party political system, in which theRepublican Party and theDemocratic Party are perceived as alike in their support ofneoliberalism, defined by anti-labor and pro-federal policy, as well as vehement defense of corporate interests.[14][15] This use can also refer to the original coinage of the termthe Establishment in 1955, referring to the intricate matrix of power and connections among corporations, politicians, non-governmental organizations, government agencies, and some social groups.[citation needed]
The overt exertion of the power of the establishment has significantly increased in the wake ofDonald Trump's election as president in2016[vague][fact or opinion?], though it was a powerful force long before his election. A marked increase ofpolitical polarization, both perceived and actual, was noted under his election. This further increases power and reach through division.[16] Within the two parties, the term has largely fallen out of use, except as apejorative.[17][additional citation(s) needed]
The term also refers toWhite Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs), who constitute much of the social elites that have dominated historical American society, culture, and politics, enjoying education, voting rights, and land ownership. In the 1950s, theNew Left criticised WASP hegemony of American society.[18] Some prominent American families have held disproportionate wealth and wielded disproportionate political power over the decades. Experts talk about whatC. Wright Mills called the "power elite",[19][20] and about leadership communities in policy areas such as foreign policy.[21]
Traditionally, WASP and Protestant establishment families have been associated withEpiscopal (orAnglican),Presbyterian,United Methodist,Congregationalist, and othermainline Protestant denominations.[22]
Those who are outsiders, in relation to a given establishment, as a rule, have on their part resources needed by the establishments' members. . . . Established and outsiders, in other words, have specific functions for each other. No established-outsider relationship is likely to maintain itself for long without some reciprocity of dependence. . . . Members of an establishment usually are very careful to maintain and, if possible, to increase the high dependence ratio of their outsider groups and thus the power differentials between these and themselves.
The most sweeping account of how neoliberalism came to dominate American politics for nearly a half century before crashing against the forces of Trumpism on the right and a new progressivism on the left.
