Oligarchy (Greek Ὀλιγαρχία, Oligarkhía) is a form of government where political power effectively rests with a small elite segment of society (whether distinguished by wealth, family, military powers or spiritual hegemony). A system of government is a term that refers to the set of political Institutions by which a Government of a State is organized in order to exert its powers Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions See also Form of government This article lists forms of government and Political systems according to a series of different ways of categorising them Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations Authoritarianism describes a Form of government characterized by an emphasis on the Authority of the State in a republic or union An autocracy is a Form of government in which the Political power is held by a single self-appointed ruler A band society is the simplest form of human Society. A band generally consists of a small kin group no larger than an Extended family or Clan. A chiefdom is a type of complex society of varying degrees of centralization that is led by an individual known as a chief. This article is about a type of political territory For other uses see Colony (disambiguation. Communist state is a term used by many Political scientists to describe a Form of government in which the State operates under a one-party system Corporatocracy is a Neologism that describes a Government dominated by corporate influence banks and governments Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system Direct Democracy is a movement within the British Conservative Party dedicated to localism and Constitutional reform as a means of reviving public Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of the people's representatives Despotism is a Form of government by a single authority either an individual or tightly knit group, which rules with absolute political power A dictatorship is usually defined as an autocratic Form of government in which the Government is ruled by a Dictator. A military dictatorship is a Form of government wherein the political power resides with the Military; it is similar but not identical to a Stratocracy, Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed A kleptocracy (sometimes cleptocracy, occasionally kleptarchy) ( root klepto+kratein = rule by thieves) is a term applied to a Kritarchy is a form of government ruled by judges It may have existed in Israel during the period of time described in the Book of Judges and exist in Somalia under the Meritocracy is a system of a government or another organization wherein Appointments are made and responsibilities are given based on demonstrated talent and Ability A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or Absolute monarchy is a monarchical Form of government where the king and queen have absolute power over everything A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is An empire (from the Latin " Imperium " denoting military Command within the ancient Roman government) is a State that Ochlocracy ( Greek: οχλοκρατία or okhlokratía; Latin: ochlocratia) is government by mob or a mass of people Plutocracy is rule by the wealthy or power provided by wealth A puppet state is a State that is nominally independent but in reality under the control of another power A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its Mixed government, also known as a mixed constitution, is a form of government that integrated facets of government by Democracy, Oligarchy, and Monarchy A constitutional Republic is a State where the Head of state and other officials are elected as representatives of the people and A parliamentary republic or parliamentary constitutional republic is a form of a Republic which operates under a Parliamentary system of government The term socialist state (or socialist republic, or workers' state) can carry one of several different (but related meanings In strictly speaking any A capitalist republic is a concept of government completely the reverse of Marxist thought A single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a type of Party system Government in which a single Political party Technocracy: A form of government in which scientists and technical experts are in control "technocracy is described as that society in which those who govern justify themselves Theocracy is a form of government in which a god or deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler Theodemocracy is a political system theorized by Joseph Smith Jr Constitutional theory defines a timocracy as either a State where only property owners may participate in Government; or a government Totalitarianism (or totalitarian rule) is a concept used to describe Political systems where a State regulates nearly every aspect of public and private A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally consists of a Social group existing before the development of or outside of States Many anthropologists use Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly A system of government is a term that refers to the set of political Institutions by which a Government of a State is organized in order to exert its powers Political power ( Imperium in Latin is a type of power held by a group in a Society which allows administration of some or all of Elitism is the belief or attitude that those individuals who are considered members of the Elite &mdash a select group of people with outstanding personal abilities intellect The word oligarchy is translated into "rule by few. " Compare with autocracy (rule by one person) and democracy (rule by the majority). An autocracy is a Form of government in which the Political power is held by a single self-appointed ruler Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system

Oligarchy, aristocracy, and plutocracy

Historically, many oligarchies openly gave the political power to a minority group, sometimes arguing that this was an aristocracy organization by the best and the brightest. Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations Such states were often controlled by powerful families whose children were raised and mentored to be heirs of the power of the oligarchy. However, this power may also not be exercised openly, the oligarchs preferring to remain "the power behind the throne", exerting control through economic means. The phrase power behind the throne refers to a person or group that informally exercises the real power of an office Economics is the social science that studies the production distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Although Aristotle pioneered the use of the term as a synonym for rule by the rich, for which the exact term is plutocracy, oligarchy is not always a rule by wealth, as oligarchs can simply be a privileged group. Aristotle (Greek Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC was a Greek philosopher a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. Plutocracy is rule by the wealthy or power provided by wealth

Oligarchy vs. monarchy

Early societies may have become oligarchies as an outgrowth of an alliance between rival tribal chieftains or as the result of a caste system. A society is a Population of Humans characterized by patterns of relationships between individuals that share a distinctive Culture and Institutions Castes are Hereditary systems of occupation, Endogamy, social culture, Social class, and Political power. Oligarchies can often become instruments of transformation, by insisting that monarchs or dictators share power, thereby opening the door to power-sharing by other elements of society (while oligarchy means "the rule of the few," monarchy means "the rule of the one"). A dictator is an Authoritarian ruler (eg Absolutist or autocratic) who assumes sole and absolute power without hereditary ascension such as an Absolute One example of power-sharing from one person to a larger group of persons occurred when English nobles banded together in 1215 to force a reluctant King John of England to sign Magna Carta, a tacit recognition both of King John's waning political power and of the existence of an incipient oligarchy (the nobility). England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Nobility is a government-privileged title which may be either hereditary (see Hereditary titles) or for a lifetime John (24 December 1167 &ndash 19 October 1216 reigned as a King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death Magna Carta ( Latin for Great Charter, literally " Great Paper " also called Magna Carta Libertatum ( Great Charter of Freedoms As English society continued to grow and develop, Magna Carta was repeatedly revised (1216, 1217, and 1225), guaranteeing greater rights to greater numbers of people, thus setting the stage for English constitutional monarchy. The Kingdom of England was a State (927-1707 located in Western Europe dating from the ninth or tenth century to the early eighteenth century when it was legally A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is

Oligarchies may also evolve into more autocratic or monarchist forms of government, sometimes as the result of one family gaining ascendancy over the others. An autocracy is a Form of government in which the Political power is held by a single self-appointed ruler Monarchism is the advocacy of the establishment preservation or restoration of a Monarchy as a Form of government in a nation Many of the European monarchies established during the late Middle Ages began in this way. There are twelve monarchies in Europe today ten of these are states whose Head of state (a Monarch) Inherits his or her office and usually keeps it

Examples of oligarchies

Examples include Sparta (excluding the Helots, who were the majority of the population, from voting), the First French Republic government under the Directory, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (only the nobility could vote). The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη The helots (in Classical Greek / Heílôtes) were an unfree population group that formed the The First Republic in France, officially the French Republic (République française was proclaimed on 21 September 1792 during the French Revolution. The Executive Directory ( Directoire exécutif) was a body of 5 single-male Directors that held executive power in France following The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic A modern example of oligarchy could be seen in South Africa during the 20th century. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Here, the basic characteristics of oligarchy are particularly easy to observe, since the South African form of oligarchy was based on race. The term race or racial group usually refers to the concept of categorizing Humans into Populations or groups on the basis of various sets After the Second Boer War, a tacit agreement was reached between English- and Afrikaans-speaking whites. See also First Boer War,, South African Wars (1879-1915 The Second Boer War ( Dutch: Tweede Boerenoorlog, Afrikaans: Afrikaans is an Indo-European language, derived from 17th century Dutch and classified as Low Franconian Germanic, mainly spoken in Together, they made up about twenty percent of the population, but this small percentage ruled the vast native population. Whites had access to virtually all the educational and trade opportunities, and they proceeded to deny this to the black majority even further than before. Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency Trade is the willing exchange of goods, services, or both Trade is also called Commerce. Although this process had been going on since the mid-18th century, after 1948 it became official government policy and became known worldwide as apartheid. Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This lasted until the arrival of democracy in South Africa in 1994, punctuated by the transition to a democratically-elected government dominated by the black majority. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar)

Russia has been labeled an oligarchy because of the power of certain individuals, the oligarchs, who gained great wealth after the fall of Communism. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Business oligarch is a near-synonym of the term " Business magnate " Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based Critics have argued that this happened in illegitimate ways and was due to corruption. Political corruption is the use of governmental powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain

Capitalism as a social system is sometimes described as an oligarchy. Capitalism is the Economic system in which the Means of production are owned by private Persons and operated for Profit and where Critics argue that in a capitalist society, power - economic, cultural and political - rests in the hands of the capitalist class. Communist states have also been seen as oligarchies, being ruled by a class with special privileges, the nomenklatura. The nomenklatura were a small elite subset of the general population in the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc countries who held various key administrative positions

The concept of an "oligarchic democracy" is one which some scholars attribute to Ancient Rome and the United States. Marxist Ellen Meiksins Wood writes, that it "conveys a truth about U. Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Ellen Meiksins Wood (born 1942 in New York City) is a Marxist scholar S. politics every bit as telling as its application to ancient Rome. It is no accident that the Founding Fathers of the U. S. Republic looked to Roman models for inspiration in making the Federalist case, adopting Roman names as pseudonyms and conceiving of themselves as latterday Catos, forming a natural aristocracy of republican virtue. (Americans today still have a representative body called the Senate, and their republic is still watched over by the Roman eagle. ) Faced with the distasteful specter of democracy, they sought ways to redefine that unpalatable concept to accommodate aristocratic rule, producing a hybrid, "representative democracy," which was clearly meant to achieve an effect similar to the ancient Roman idea of the "mixed constitution," in fact, an "oligarchic 'democracy. "'^[1] However, the constitution and state laws has since been modified, with the removal of the original property requirements for voting, as well as giving the vote to women and blacks. [1]

The Iron Law of Oligarchy

Some authors such as Vilfredo Pareto, Gaetano Mosca, Thomas R. Dye, and Robert Michels, believe that any political system eventually evolves into an oligarchy. Vilfredo Federico Damaso Pareto (vil'fredo pa'reto July 15, 1848 – August 19, 1923) or Fritz Wilfried Pareto, was an Italian Gaetano Mosca ( April 1, 1858 Palermo, Italy – November 8, 1941 Rome, Italy) was an Italian Thomas R Dye is an Emeritus Professor of Political Science at Florida State University. Robert Michels ( 9 January 1876, Cologne, Germany — 3 May 1936, Rome, Italy) was a German This theory is called the "iron law of oligarchy". The iron law of oligarchy is a political theory first developed by the German syndicalist sociologist Robert Michels in his 1911 book Political According to this school of thought, modern democracies should be considered as elected oligarchies. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system In these systems, actual differences between viable political rivals are small, the oligarchic elite impose strict limits on what constitutes an 'acceptable' and 'respectable' political position, and politicians' careers depend heavily on unelected economic and media elites. Elitism is the belief or attitude that those individuals who are considered members of the Elite &mdash a select group of people with outstanding personal abilities intellect

The historian Spencer R. Weart in his book Never at War argues that oligarchies rarely make war with one another. Spencer R Weart is the director of the Center for History of Physics of the American Institute of Physics. Never at War Why Democracies Will Not Fight One Another is a book by the Historian and Physicist Spencer R

See also

Government terms:

• Aristocracy
• Elitism
• Crony capitalism
• Dictatorship
• Forms of government
• Netocracy
• Oligopoly
• Plutocracy
• Political family
• Theocracy
• Power behind the throne
• Russian oligarchs
• Fascism

Relevant authors:

• Vilfredo Pareto
• Gaetano Mosca
• Thomas R. Dye
• Robert Michels
• Aristotle

References

External links

• Online Text: Leonard Whibley, Greek Oligarchies: Their Character and Organisation (1896), still the only full-scale treatment of oligarchy in Classical Greece.