Born to Rule: The Making and Remaking of the British Elite

The Economist's "Best Books of 2024" includes a data-rich analysis of the British elite from the Victorian era to today, examining their profiles, interests, and careers. Aaron Reeves and Sam Friedman found that there is less movement at the top than previously thought, with those born into the top 1 percent just as likely to get into the elite today as they were 125 years ago. However, how elites present themselves has changed, with today's elite pedaling hard to convince us they are perfectly ordinary. This has implications for politics, as scholars have long proposed that the family and schools we attend leave a mark on the exercise of power.

Format: Hardback
Length: 328 pages
Publication date: 10 September 2024
Publisher: Harvard University Press

The Economist's "Best Books of 2024" includes a data-rich analysis of the British elite from the Victorian era to the present day. The book explores who gets into the elite, how they get there, what they like and look like, where they go to school, and what politics they perpetuate. The authors, Aaron Reeves and Sam Friedman, conducted a meticulous study of over 125,000 members of the British elite from the late 1890s to the present day. They used a historical database of "Who's Who" and mined genealogical records, probate data, and interviewed over 200 leading figures from various backgrounds and professions. The study found that there is less movement at the top than previously thought. While there has been some progress in including women and Black and Asian Brits, those born into the top 1 percent are just as likely to get into the elite today as they were 125 years ago. What has changed is how elites present themselves. Today's elite pedal hard to convince us they are perfectly ordinary. Why should we care? Because the elites we have affect the politics we get. While scholars have long proposed that the family you are born into and the schools you attend leave a mark on the exercise of power, the empirical evidence has been thin—until now. The book offers a fresh perspective on the British elite and provides valuable insights into the dynamics of power and influence in modern society.

Weight: 572g
Dimension: 242 x 165 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780674257719