The Detached: Elites are hollowing out democracy. The elites are increasingly becoming a closed society. This applies not only to the economic elite but also increasingly to the political elite. Their life worlds and those of the population have been drifting apart for decades. They believe that different rules apply to them and produce one tax and financial scandal after another. Renowned elite researcher Michael Hartmann identifies the consequences: political disillusionment and right-wing populism. Some criticize "those up there," while others complain about elite bashing. However, it is worth taking a closer look: Who are the elites? How do they renew themselves? How are their attitudes and backgrounds connected? Hartmann's finding: The elites are a detached self-recruitment operation that undermines democracy. Only through a comprehensive social opening of the political elite is it possible to address this issue.