M2 Power concentration/distribution regimes

Topic

Regimes of power concentration and distribution—one of the three themes associated with the "political authority" track as it shifts phases—describe how power is allocated among elite positions: ranging from broad distribution, with many individuals cycling through these roles, to tight concentration in the hands of a few. As long as the rate of elite renewal and circulation remains stable, the regime of power concentration and distribution likewise remains unchanged.

The rate of elite renewal and circulation is the variable that triggers a shift from one regime of power concentration and distribution to another; when this rate falls consistently, it pushes the regime toward concentration and oligarchic closure. It is not a one-off drop in the rate of elite renewal and circulation that causes this shift, but rather a sustained decline in the entry of new individuals into elite positions.

This confirms what the rate of elite renewal and circulation already directly measures: concentration and oligarchic closure is not an isolated state, but rather the regime of power concentration and distribution toward which a society moves when that rate fails to hold steady.

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