In truth, he had no popular sympathy and was inclined to an aristocracy that was little less than an oligarchy. “Some say America is an oligarchy for multinationals,” he said. China`s religious oligarchy regained control after Mao Zedong`s death in 1976. Members of the so-called “Shanghai Gang,” who claim to be descendants of the “Big Eight” of Taoism, control most state-owned enterprises, advise and profit from trade deals, and marry to maintain their relationship with the immortals. Overall, an oligarchy is a form of government characterized by the domination of a few individuals or families. Specifically, the term was used by the Greek philosopher Aristotle as opposed to aristocracy, which was another term to describe the rule of a privileged few. For Aristotle, however, an aristocracy meant the domination of the best members of society, while an oligarchy was characterized by the domination of a few for corrupt and unjust purposes. Although the term has generally fallen out of favor, oligarchy is sometimes used to describe a government or society in which leaders are chosen from a small elite class. These elites exercise power in the name of their class and not for the common good.
German-born Italian sociologist Robert Michels coined the phrase “iron law of oligarchy,” which asserts that there is an inevitable tendency for organizations to become less democratic and oligarchic over time. In modern times, “oligarchy” is a term commonly applied to China and Iran. China describes itself as a communist “people`s republic,” but the country`s leadership has been maintained for several decades by a select few. Members of the oligarchy included those who were part of the Communist Party and the 1949 revolution, as well as those who have gained wealth and power since China opened up to the global market in the 1980s (often the descendants of early revolutionaries). This system has helped the rich and powerful maintain control, while offering relatively little power or freedom to most citizens. Iran has been characterized as a theocratic and clerical oligarchy. Clerics control much of the power structure. In Iran, a supreme leader is at the top of the hierarchy of power.
He (since the creation of the post in 1979, there have been only two supreme leaders, both men) runs the country with about 2,000 office workers. Eighty-six clerics form an assembly of experts that meets once a year for a week and elects the Supreme Leader. Iran also has a president, but the executive branch is subordinate to the supreme Leader.In, and there is also a Guardian Council composed of six clerics and six parliamentary representatives. The Council must approve draft laws that are adopted by Parliament and that also have an influence on who can be elected to political office (Parliament and Assembly of Experts). Some contemporary writers have characterized conditions in the United States in the 21st century as oligarchic. [16] [17] Simon Johnson wrote in 2009 that “the resurgence of an American financial oligarchy is relatively new,” a structure he described as “the most progressive” in the world. [18] Jeffrey A. Winters wrote that “oligarchy and democracy operate in one system, and American politics is a daily demonstration of its interaction.” [19] The richest 1% of the U.S. population by wealth accounted for a larger share of total income in 2007 than at any time since 1928.
[20] In 2011, according to PolitiFact and others, the richest 400 Americans “have more wealth than half of all Americans combined.” [21] [22] [23] [24] It was an oligarchy of a few powerful Whig nobles whose reign was supreme in England. Help your students understand different forms of government with these educational resources. An oligarchy is a power structure composed of a few individuals, families or elite companies authorized to control a country or organization. This article examines the characteristics of oligarchies, their development and their scale today. When it comes to immigration, the idea that those who want to solve these problems are following the orders of a “corporatist oligarchy” in search of cheap labor is not simple working class language, but offensive nonsense. What are the words that are often used to talk about oligarchy? Subscribe to America`s largest dictionary and get thousands of other definitions and an advanced search – ad-free! George Bernard Shaw, in his play Major Barbara, premiered in 1905 and first published in 1907, defined a new type of oligarchy, namely the intellectual oligarchy that acts against the interests of ordinary people: “I would now like to give weapons to the common man against the intellectual man. I like ordinary people. I want to arm them against the lawyer, the doctor, the priest, the writer, the professor, the artist and the politician who, once in power, is the most dangerous, the most catastrophic and the most tyrannical of all fools, scoundrels and deceitful. I want democratic power strong enough to force the intellectual oligarchy to use its genius for the common good or perish. [7] In the early 20th century, many progressives and populists, as well as a growing socialist movement, rose up to oppose the oligarchy. Add the oligarchy to one of your following lists or create a new one. Do you sometimes feel like only a few people have all the power? If it is a government that is run like this, then it is an oligarchy.
A country that has this form of government is also an oligarchy. Nglish: Translation of oligarchy for Spanish speakers who are considered oligarchs are often considered part of a small group of powerful and elite people whose power comes from wealth, connections, or any other status that makes them highly influential. Although there are only a few, the leading or influential members of an oligarchy do not always act in unison and may even oppose each other. However, the fact that they are among the few who have real power makes them members of an oligarchy. Calling a government, country or system an oligarchy usually implies that such a system involves corruption and oppression, regardless of the official form of government or the specific policies of its leaders.