Look at a playground, Lit. Within a very short time, there is a little group of the powers that be. There may be some shifts and changes, but the pecking order is there very quickly.
It is rare to see the lower end taking over by demanding for change. That takes an organising and scheming that the powers that be often excel at, over all the others.
Your image of humans is more sweet than my image of them.
I thought I was pretty naive, not distrusting by default. But, I only apply that to individuals, not to groups.