How does elitism affect foreign policy making?

In terms of background and experience, a remarkably homogeneous collection of people have made up America’s postwar foreign policy establishment. Those attracted to political careers conventionally are thought to possess an instinct for power. As power seekers, they pursue power “as a means of compensation against deprivation. Power is expected to overcome low estimates of the self, by either changing the traits of the self or of the environment in which it functions.” Policy makers are power-hungry. Though they may claim they enter politics to do good and serve the public, in fact, they subconsciously seek leadership to compensate for their personal insecurities and to bolster their own self-esteem by holding power over others.  People become elite only because they occupy elite positions and not because, as they sometimes assume, they are inherently special. Individuals playing roles often become, in their own minds, the masks they wear. In this respect, the impact of the office on the officeholder makes those in the foreign policy elite more alike than different.

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