oligarchy
World History
(noun)
A form
of power structure in which a small group of people hold all power and
influence in a state.
U.S. History
Sociology
Examples of oligarchy in the following topics:
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Oligarchy
- An oligarchy is a form of government in which power effectively rests with a small elite segment of society.
- Here, the basic characteristics of oligarchy are particularly easy to observe, since the South African form of oligarchy was based on race.
- Oligarchies are often controlled by politically powerful families whose children are heavily conditioned and mentored to be heirs of the power of the oligarchy.
- States may be oligarchies de jure or de facto.
- In de jure oligarchies, an elite group is given power by the law.
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Non-Democratic Governments: Monarchy, Oligarchy, Technocracy, and Theocracy
- Some nondemocratic governments can be classified into categories such as monarchies, oligarchies, theocracies and technocracies.
- An example of an oligarchy would be the former Soviet Union where only members of the Communist Party were allowed to vote or hold office.
- Oligarchy is a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with a small number of people.
- Forms of government and other political structures associated with oligarchy usually include aristocracy, meritocracy, plutocracy, military junta, technocracy, and theocracy.
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Types of States
- Other forms of government include oligarchy and dictatorship or totalitarianism.
- Under this system, governments fall into general categories of authoritarianism, oligarchy, and democracy.
- An oligarchy is different from a true democracy because very few people are given the chance to change things.
- An oligarchy does not have to be hereditary or monarchic.
- An oligarchy does not have one clear ruler, but several powerful people who rule.
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Forms of Government
- An oligarchy does not have one clear ruler, but several powerful people.
- Some historical examples of oligarchy are the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Apartheid in South Africa.
- An oligarchy is different from a true democracy because very few people are given the chance to change things.
- An oligarchy does not have to be hereditary or monarchic.
- An oligarchy does not have one clear ruler, but several powerful people.
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Types of Governments
- An oligarchy is a form of government in which power effectively rests with a small elite segment of society distinguished by royalty, wealth, family, military or religious hegemony.
- Such states are often controlled by politically powerful families whose children are heavily conditioned and mentored to be heirs of the power of the oligarchy.
- Oligarchies have been tyrannical throughout history, being completely reliant on public servitude to exist.
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Span of Government
- An oligarchy is different from a true democracy because very few people are given the chance to change things.
- An oligarchy does not have to be hereditary or monarchic.
- An oligarchy does not have one clear ruler, but several rulers.
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Effects of the Peloponnesian War
- The Spartan army encouraged revolt, installing a pro-Spartan oligarchy within Athens, called the Thirty Tyrants, in 404 BCE.
- Most of the ruling systems set up by Lysander were ten-man oligarchies, called decarchies, in which harmosts, Spartan military governors, were the heads of the government.
- Lysander also managed to require Athens to recall its exiles, causing political instability within the city-state, of which Lysander took advantage to establish the oligarchy that came to be known as the Thirty Tyrants.
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The U.S. Political System
- At times, this influence has grown so noticeable that some have called into question whether the U.S. is truly a democracy of the people or something more like an oligarchy of special interest groups.
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Theories of Democracy
- Theoretically, Aristotle contrasted rule by the many (democracy/polity) with rule by the few (oligarchy/aristocracy) and with rule by a single person (tyranny or autocracy/monarchy).
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The Habit of Self-Government
- In Plymouth's form of self-government, the colony was led by a governor and local legislature elected by a local oligarchy; the governor was appointed by the colonial power rather than the English Crown.