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The Invisible Class Empire is a term introduced by Robert Perrucci and Earl Wysong in their book titled, The New Class Society: Goodbye American Dream? The term refers to members of the superclass that are involved in shaping both political and corporate policies. This class of people may be thought of as an empire because its members maintain a decided influence on society through access to a surplus of financial, cultural, human and social capital. Access to these various forms of capital translates into the political force needed to preserve its vested interests. Unlike conspiracy theories of power and control, the superclass' political influence is evidenced in the reality of economic and political inequalities that maintain class dominance. The term, therefore, refers to "the hidden structures and processes through which superclass leaders, along with their credentialed-class allies, penetrate and dominate the American political system" ^[1]

The leaders of the invisible class empire are sometimes referred to as the power elite in political and sociological theory. They are members of the superclass who control a disproportionate amount of wealth or political power. This power is used to influence corporate officers, attorneys, lobbyists, and politicians. ^[2] Members of these groups, lead by the superclass elite, come together to form the interlocking directorate that manages political and economic policy-making, as well as the institutional hierarchies that help maintain the class empire. Their class-based power and political dominance are suspended from public awareness with tactful use of propaganda, spin, and ideology; and also by precluding media coverage of their actions.

Although the influence of powerful groups and moguls is consistent with history, the magnitude, complexity and sophistication of this kind of influence on society is unprecedented. Perrucci and Wysong highlight four interlocking organizations that invest the invisible class empire with political power. They write:

Largely created, funded, and dominated by the superclass, this industry consists of four specialized, interrelated groups devoted to (1) federal lobbying - Washington, D.C.-area lobbying organizations funded largely by superclass-class-based resources to influence policy-making processes in Congress and federal agencies; (2) political finance - corporate-based individual wealth, political action committees (PAC's), and 527 committees; (3) policy planning - think tanks, research institutes, policy discussion groups, and foundations; and (4) classwide lobbying - peak corporate groups and corporate-professional group coalitions ^[3]

These are the resources that allow groups within the power elite to organize and advance agendas that subvert democratic ideals and functioning in order to dominate political arrangements. It takes a number of different collaborative projects to link superclass leaders and the class of experts and professionals that serve them. It is estimated that lobbying, political finance, and policy-planning services "consists largely of the top twenty thousand officers and directors located in the on thousand largest U.S. industrial, financial, and service firms."^[4] These top corporate office holders head the institutional power elite, and their firms shape the organizational base of power that maintains control over vast forms of capital.

• Perrucci, Robert (2008). The New Class Society: Goodbye American Dream? (3rd ed.). Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Inc. p. 455. ISBN 978-0-7425-4554-0. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

• Elite theory
• Structural functionalism
• Social theory
• Conflict theory

• G. William Domhoff's online supplement to his book Who Rules America
• Domhoff interview - September 2004, Public Eye.Org - Domhoff on the American Ruling Class as opposed to conspiracy theories.
• NY Books G. William Domhoff: "IS THERE A RULING CLASS?" In response to What Rules America? (May 1, 1975)