Degree

BS (Social Sciences & Liberal Arts)

Faculty / School

School of Economics and Social Sciences (SESS)

Department

Department of Social Sciences & Liberal Arts

Date of Award

Spring 2025

Date of Submission

2025-05-30

Advisor

Dr. Bilal Munshi, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences

Project Type

SSLA Culminating Experience

Access Type

Restricted Access

Keywords

Historical institutionalism, elites, state autonomy, neoliberalism, control and power

Abstract

In the era of global neoliberalism, the boundaries between state autonomy and elite domination have become increasingly blurred. The following project explores the locus of power within the neoliberal states, questioning whether such states perform autonomously or are influenced by socioeconomic elites that dominate political and economic decision-making in the country. With the help of studying the elite structure in Pakistan and the United States of America, the paper examines how neoliberal reforms have reshaped state functions, enabling elite interests to influence or even capture policy-making processes.

Drawing on the theoretical framework from historical institutionalism and Thomas Piketty’s analysis of inequality, the thesis unpacks the mechanisms through which elites maintain dominance over economic and political agendas in both capitalist democracies and postcolonial states. The research adapts a qualitative and historically grounded methodology, analysing policy trajectories, institutionalism reforms, and political discourse. Key themes include the rise of privatization and deregulation and the growing influence of corporate, military, and landed elites on state apparatuses.

The study highlights how elite influence operates differently across distinct institutional contexts yet yield similar outcomes: rising inequality, weakened public accountability, and the erosion of democratic norms. In the United States, the dominance of financial and corporate elites shapes state policy, while in Pakistan, a coalition of military, feudal, and business elites exerts control. Despite their differences, both cases serve as a poignant example of how the state serves elite interests rather than acting as an autonomous vehicle for collective welfare.

The research contributes to the growing scholarship that questions the emancipatory potential of neoliberalism and interrogates the actual distribution of power in modern states. The research concludes that while the state appears to function as a neutral arbiter, neoliberalism enables a convergence of elite and state power, raising critical questions about democracy, inequality, and institutional autonomy.

Pages

64

Download

The full text of this document is only accessible to authorized users.

Share

COinS