在布里尔看来，这是美国英才制度的后果：最优秀、最聪明的人有机会爬到顶端，但随后就把登天梯子撤掉，以便能够把持民主机构，并利用它们固化自己的特权。
According to Brill, this is an upshot of America’s meritocracy: the best and brightest had the chance to climb to the top, but then essentially pulled the ladder up behind them, as they captured democratic institutions and used them to entrench special privileges for themselves.