| Iron Law Of Oligarchy |
Article Index for Iron |
Website Links For Iron |
Information AboutIron Law Of Oligarchy |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT IRON LAW OF OLIGARCHY | |
| legal history | |
| political science theories | |
| sociology | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
|
It states that all forms of organization, regardless of how democratic or Autocratic they may be at the start, will eventually and inevitably develop Oligarchic tendencies, thus making true Democracy practically and theoretically impossible, especially in large groups and complex organizations. Michels stated that the Iron Law of Oligarchy occurs because delegation is necessary in any organization. This delegation leads to the development of bases of knowledge, skills, and resources among a leadership, which serves to entrench the leadership in office. Bureaucratization and specialization are the driving processes behind the Law. These create a specialized group of administrators in a Hierarchical Organization . Which, in turn, leads to the '' Rationalization And Routinization Of Authority and decision making''. A process first and perhaps best described by Max Weber , and to a lesser and more cynical extent, by the Peter Principle . The Size and complexity of a group or organization is important to the Iron Law as well. During the 1970s and early 1980s , the Green Party Of Germany made a conscious effort to try and break the Iron Law. Anyone could be or remove a party official. There were no permanent offices or officers. Even the smallest, most routine decisions could be put up for discussion and to a vote. When the party was small, these anti-oligarchic measures enjoyed some success. But as the organization grew larger and the party became more successful, the need to effectively compete in elections, raise funds, run large rallies and demonstrations and work with other political parties once elected, led the Greens to adapt more conventional structures and practices. REFERENCES
EXTERNAL LINKS |