The correct answer to this open question is the following.
Although there is no specific context or reference provided, we can say the following.
A single group of people can gain total power in society through the use of coercion and fear. These are powerful groups that some times hide behind the "curtain" of formal power" and manage people and manipulate information to establish their own agendas.
The methods that people use to gain control over other people as I stated above are coercion, fear, manipulation, and the evasion of reality so people can be distracted from the really important topics of life.
People submit to this power because everybody can be manipulated if they have fear and are ignorant. When people are afraid, they paralyze and expected others to tell them what to do, including the government, social leaders, or mass media.