Elite vs “Middle Class”: The Defining Conflict of Global Instability in the First Quarter of the 21st Century

The article considers the problem of the struggle for influence between the elite and the middle class in modern states. The study covers the period from the second half of the 20th century to the present time, highlighting two key stages of the confrontation. In the first half of the analyzed period, the elite and the middle class acted as allies in the struggle against the personal dominance of political leaders. However, after neutralizing the “dictatorial” potential of the leadership institute in the 2000s, the elite launched an active campaign against the middle class, which by that time had accumulated significant social, material and intellectual capital and began to pose a threat to the establishment’s positions of power. The author analyzes the measures taken by the elite to reduce the authority of the middle class in societies of “civilized” countries and establish full control over shaping the agenda of human development. In conclusion, it is noted that despite the ongoing confrontation, the elite retains a significant advantage over both political leaders and the popular majority, the core of which is the middle class.