The Power Elite (Dec.1st)

When I think of power I think of those people in powerful positions (Presidents, CEOs, etc.) and the decisions they make. In class last Wednesday we talked about how power is fixed within certain institutions, in the positions that people hold. Power in itself was then described as a kind of potential energy ( like the top of a roller coaster), with the capacity to influence. The influence itself is all about behavior (the kinetic energy), or downward slope of the roller coaster.
I found it interesting that the biggest power institutions today are completely different from 200 years ago. Back then family, school, and church were the big three institutions; whereas now government, military, and economic institutions hold more influence. I think that this really proves how times have changed, along with the values of society as a whole. I am not sure that I agree with this change, as so much of the power is now controlled by one overlying body. As power seems to be constantly shifting, who knows what the big three institutions could be in the future.