Does the Idea of a Ruling Class in Canada Make Sense - Case Study Example

Ruling Introduction: is a social rank given to a group of people based on the termsof income, wealth, resources, education, status or power. Ruling class in any society refers to a social class that defines society’s political policy by highlighting the existence of a superior class and then keeping the throne of that class on their own heads. In many societies, people are centrifuged based on various factors leading to stratification. This assortment on the basis of social class or perceived social class is called classism. The ruling class can be viewed as those sitting at the top of that centrifuged layer. Wealth and power are the main weapons of these ruling class used to maintain their position in the society. They are able to introduce or modify rules in the society using their superior intellect, status and influence on the other classes of the society. These ruling classes are believed to set up system of policies and practices that mostly favors and benefits them. Unfortunately, these benefits comes at the expense of those lower down the rank, therefore, creating a void that can result in unequal distribution of wealth in the society. But this void is important for the existence of so called ruling class as equality will demolish their rule over the middle and lower working class people. They believe that wider is the gap between them and the subordinated groups, the greater is the power and control that they possess over them. Political Equality: Defining political equality is crucial to understand the infrastructure on which ruling class is based. In its true meaning, political equality idealizes the concept of providing all the members of the society equal political status. But is it practically possible to achieve political equal? The concept of equality can be constructed in few ways. There is equality of rights and there is equality of influence. Most of the times, citizens or any member of a society is given equal rights to vote and assembly. But the problem with this concept of political equal is that it cannot withstand the strain of the society. If two individuals are said to have equal political rights but one of them has a superior status, wealth, and influence it will be provided with more political opportunities then the other. Therefore, they cannot be political equals. That’s why equality of influence fits better then the equality of rights. Two individuals are said to be political equal if they have the same influence on the policy outcomes. Does the idea of ruling class make sense in Canada? The existence of various ruling classes is evident in many societies. But does the idea of ruling class make sense in Canada? Given the present circumstances it does not make sense. Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom technically provide equal rights to all Canadian citizens. “Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.” If we look in the context of equality of rights, everything might seem to be in its proper place. But as we discussed earlier, equality of influence is more practical then equality of rights. Any individuals influence is based on his or her socioeconomic status. And socioeconomic status is based on the same factors that form the foundation of ruling class. Therefore, wealth, income, education and certain other factors determine influence of an individual and indirectly establish the political power. Even in a Canadian Society these factors can play a critical role in distributing power and resulting in stratification of social groups. Is there any ruling class in Canada? If there is a possibility that rights may not be as equally distributed in the Canadian society as one might expect, then does a ruling class exist in Canada? It is not easy to answer this question. Some might be of opinion that there is a ruling class while others just simply reject the idea of stratification in the Canadian society and deny the existence of any ruling class. Economic and social inequality is the root to ruling class in any society. If these two factors exist in Canada then there is a fair chance that a ruling class exists in the society. Changes at the Social and Economic level: Over the past two decades, there has been social and economic decline in Canada. There are many evidences for this decline. Canada was at the top of United Nations Human Development Index between 1995 and 2001 but crashed to third position in 2002. This decline continues and next year, 2003, Canada ranked 8th in that index. Social inequality is on the rise in Canada as compared to other developed countries. Social programs play a major role in keeping this inequality under check. Canada spends less on social programs now as compared to the previous decade that had devastating impact on those individuals relying heavily on social support. Another marker for disrupted social infrastructure is the increase in the number of homeless people, which has markedly increased in Canada since 1980. Child poverty has risen over the decades despite promises made by the parliament to “end child poverty”. Other economical statistics shows that number of families on social support and with an average annual family income of less than 20,000$ are on the rise. All these statistics indicate a further decline in socioeconomic condition of subordinate groups. Therefore, it is easy to predict that the gap between rich and poor is widening up leading to a social environment that favors the development of a ruling class. (Brownlee, 2005). The Corporate World: There must be a reason behind all the recent economic and social developments in Canada. But what exactly is that force responsible for this economic change and social inequality? One possible answer is the “economic elites”. These are the group of people that control a majority of the corporate world in Canada. Statistics shows that the top 100 wealthiest citizens own a capital that is equal to the combined wealth of about 5.4 million Canadian families in the lower class. Therefore, this group of economic elites has influence on the political system that cannot even be compared with the subordinate class, even though all individuals at both extreme of the spectrum have equal political rights. One important concept to understand here is that a class is only established in its true form when potential members of that class becomes class conscious. And these economic elites are unified and class conscious groups. Now when individual members of these groups combine together their influence is also combined. This combined influence enables them to reject or implement policies that favor their growth at the expense of those at the lower class in the Canadian social system. If the definition of a ruling class is recalled, these economic elites fit perfectly in that definition. These corporate giants united together can be seen as the ruling class of Canada. But there are certain factors that determine the extent of their influence on the Canadian economic and social infrastructure. These factors include the extent of unity between these economic elites, the resultant impact of their unity and their access to country’s resources. There is little doubt that corporate power in Canada has reached to unprecedented levels and their influence over the policy making bodies is the main force behind this economic change and social inequality. (Brownlee, 2005). Ruling Class and Policy changes: Is there any foundation to the assumption that ruling class influence policies for its benefit? When anyone looks at the founding structure of a ruling class it is evident that they require maintaining that gap between them and the lower class ensure their existence. Not only they favor implementation of those policies that help them maintain their social dominance but they also oppose those policies that can compromise their power as a ruling class. So when a policy is introduced or implemented by the government it is scrutinized by members of the ruling class. They consciously ensure that every policy that can specifically affect them is implemented by their consent. Policies that affect the middle class or lower class are not that important in the eyes of elite class and an average person is too busy to keep a track of those policies nor they have the power or influence to oppose or favor them. So in this system of policy making if there is any guidance, it is provided by the ruling class. A very small or negligible contribution is provided by the subordinate or lower class social groups. Naturally, the capitalists and ruling class will try to channelize economic sector in a direction that favors their own growth. Even if ruling class do not intend to cut the cord for those lower down, the price has to be paid by them. The Complex System: Capitalists, corporate elite or ruling class can have a substantial influence at any level of the government organization. There is no doubt that member of the ruling class are sitting behind most of the important government desks. But apart from their direct contribution in regulating the government policies they can also have an indirect impact. There is a complex system of power equilibrium that surrounds any state government. Ruling class can influences political government by various techniques such as campaign contributions and lobbying activities. Moreover, they can support or favor politicians are civil servants that safeguard their interests. Interestingly, the influence of ruling society is such widespread that it creates an environment that only favors their interest. For instance it is understandable if state managers not formulate any policies that can go against the interest of society’s elite under their influence. But even if the influence is not there the structural mechanism makes it impossible for that state manager to create anti capitalist policies. This simply means that ruling class does not have to be ‘in’ the system to modify it in their best interest but the system in itself is bound to ensure that nothing goes against them. One must wonder what is that a structural mechanism that inhibits any policy maker to come up with a policy against the ruling class. It is important to understand here that those state managers need to maintain the economic activity. In short, they have to keep the economy wheel running to make sure that they remain at their designation. Capitalists or ruling class are the main catalyst of economy and therefore everything is interlinked. This complex cycle confirms that ruling class does influence policies either directly or indirectly for their own benefit. (Ferguson, 1984). Summary and Conclusion: Stratification of societies is an ancient concept that still persists in today’s world. The ruling class is the group of elite members of the society that are known to influence at both political and social level in order to gain benefits and secure their own interests. Although, the idea of a ruling class does not make sense in Canada, one cannot deny the fact that corporate elites influence most of the government’s policies and can be considered as a ruling class. Moreover, this assumption is further supported by statistics that shows a further separation between elite and subordinate groups cultivating a favorable ground for the eruption of a ruling class. All members of the society are equal if we view them under the concept of equality of rights that give them the right to vote and assembly. But the equality of influence is the only way that can actually make two individual political equal. Therefore, as ruling class has more influence then the subordinate class they are able to influence the policies of any government. The complex system of state government indicates that these ruling classes have directly or indirectly influenced the government’s policies to suit their own interests. References: Brownlee, Jamie. Ruling Canada: Corporate Cohesion and Democracy. Black Point, N.S: Fernwood Pub, 2005. Print. Ferguson, Thomas, and Joel Rogers. The Political Economy: Readings in the Politics and Economics of American Public Policy. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, Inc, 1984. Print. Read More