Book Chapter
Introduction

The broad sweep of the chapters in this book is intended to capture the reach that elite theory has across the spectrum of disciplines. While each of the authors of the various chapters is individually embedded in a specific discipline, the combination of their insights offers an extraordinary insight into the activities, behaviour, and outcomes of elites. By providing a critical survey of the relevant literature in their areas of focus, authors reveal the lens through which they interpret elites. The incorporation of these different angles of analysis enables this volume to draw out the wider lessons about how elites interact with society. This chapter pegs out the frame of the book, introducing the research work in broad brushstrokes and some of the important lessons offered up to policy makers.