1. Manipulation of public opinion: Elites often use propaganda and media manipulation to shape public opinion in their favor. This can involve spreading misinformation, demonizing opponents, and promoting their own agenda.
2. Co-opting opposition: Elites may seek to co-opt or neutralize potential opposition by offering concessions, buying off dissenters, or forming alliances with rival factions.
3. Divide and conquer: Elites may exploit existing divisions within society to weaken opposition and maintain their grip on power. This can involve playing different groups against each other, fostering ethnic or religious tensions, or creating artificial divides to distract from their own shortcomings.
4. Repression and coercion: Elites may resort to violence, intimidation, and repression to suppress dissent and maintain control. This can involve censorship, surveillance, arbitrary arrests, and even extrajudicial killings.
5. Economic control: Elites often use their control over economic resources to maintain their power. This can involve monopolizing key industries, manipulating markets, and using economic incentives to co-opt or punish opponents.
6. Legal manipulation: Elites may use their influence over the legal system to protect their interests and undermine opponents. This can involve passing laws that favor their own interests, manipulating the judiciary, and using legal harassment to silence critics.
7. Cultivating loyalty: Elites often cultivate a network of loyal supporters, allies, and cronies to help them maintain power. This can involve rewarding loyalty with positions of power, access to resources, and other perks, while punishing disloyalty with ostracism or worse.
8. International alliances: Elites may seek support from foreign powers, multinational corporations, or other external actors to bolster their position and counter domestic opposition. This can involve forming alliances, signing trade agreements, or seeking military assistance to maintain their grip on power.