Political elites beyond the nation state

Abstract

The configuration of political elites reflects the basic configuration of the dominant political order. The prevailing nation- state model in the last two centuries has produced a nationalization of political elites. The weaknesses of the state model and the increasing importance today of international and supranational forms of governance have opened the space to new internationalized and supranational elites. Their configurations, patterns of recruitment and careers, resources, and their relationships with national elites are increasingly important topics to understand the functioning of contemporary politics.