在公共政策中，扮演著最主要、最活躍角色的，當然是政府機關。政府機關透過立法，讓政策擁有合法性，而使全體人民必須遵行；對於抗令不從的個人、團體、組織，政府機關亦握有制裁的權力。

In public policy, it is the government agency that plays the most important and active role. Through legislation, government agencies have legitimized policies that all people must follow; government agencies also have the power to punish individuals, groups, and organizations that do not follow the order.

在政府形成政策的過程中，菁英份子位於關鍵地位。菁英雖然在人數上居於少數，卻掌握極高的決定權，然而，其往往不能代表多數人民的意志，故由其主導所制定的政策，很可能無法反映群眾的需要。相反的，群眾之中的某些人，若欲在社會階級中向上流動，必須接受菁英的價值。在菁英的主導之下，群眾的政治參與感會較低。

In the process of government policy formation, elites are in a key position. Although elites are a minority in number, they have extremely high decision-making power. However, they often cannot represent the will of the majority of the people. Therefore, the policies formulated under their leadership may not reflect the needs of the people. On the contrary, if certain people among the masses want to move upward in the social class, they must accept the value of elites. Under the leadership of elites, the masses sense of political participation will be lower.

在強調「多元」的社會下，菁英份子就不那麼佔優勢了。在多元主義下，社會中多元的個人、團體、社區，一起決定公共政策；沒有任何單一的個人、團體可全盤支配政策形成及發展，競爭、磋商、妥協為常見之事。最足以展現多元社會特徵的，是「利益團體」的存在及其活動。他們透過餐選舉、遊說立法部門、影響行政官員或掌握媒體輿論，發揮其力量。

In a society that emphasizes "diversity," elites are not so dominant. Under pluralism, multiple individuals, groups, and communities in society decide public policies together; no single individual or group can fully control the formation and development of policies, and competition, negotiation, and compromise are common things. It is the existence and activities of "interest groups" that best demonstrate the characteristics of a pluralistic society. They exert their power through elections, lobbying legislative departments, influencing administrative officials, or controlling media opinion.

(翻譯工具：Google翻譯)