How does an oligarchy come to power

Example: The members of just three families have run the country as an oligarchy for decades, serving only their own interests. The first records of the word oligarchy come from the s. The word oligarchy does not imply a specific political doctrine or philosophy. In this sense, oligarchy can be thought of as the opposite of democracy —at least based on the roots of each word. People considered oligarchs are often thought to be part of a small group of powerful, elite people whose power comes through wealth, connections, or some other status that makes them highly influential.

Though there are few of them, the ruling or influential members of an oligarchy may not always act in agreement 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. Referring to a government, country, or system as an oligarchy usually implies that such a system involves corruption and oppression—no matter what the official form of government is or what the specific politics of its leaders are.

Oligarchy is often used alongside other critical terms for forms of government thought to be corrupt or unjust, such as plutocracy a government ruled by or influenced by the wealthy and autocracy a government in which one person has unlimited power. What are some other forms related to oligarchy? Oligarchy is almost always used in a critical way. It usually implies that rule by only a few always results in corruption and oppression.

Totalitarianism Military Dictatorship Autocracy Totalitarianism vs. Authoritarianism vs. Robert Longley. History and Government Expert. Robert Longley is a U. Facebook Facebook. Updated November 14, Key Takeaways: What Is an Oligarchy? An oligarchy is a power structure under which a small group of elite individuals, families, or corporations control a country.

Oligarchies can control all forms of government, including constitutional democracies. Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Longley, Robert. Definition and Examples. What Is an Oligarchy? What Is Hyperpluralism? What Is Plutocracy? What Is Communism? What Is Socialism? What Is Aristocracy? What Is Neoliberalism? Representative Democracy: Definition, Pros, and Cons.

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It has had a profound effect on civilizations across the world. Historically, oligarchies have formed for many reasons, but mostly when an elite class either those who are very skilled or informed in certain areas, very rich, or very powerful by other means decide to take over control of a government or corporation.

In democracies, oligarchies can form when the general population would rather trust those who pose to be better equipped to lead than those in charge. Or, oligarchies could form in a democracy when the people aren't actively involved in government or are facing a crisis.

Still, more traditionally, oligarchies have formed and usurped power of ineffectual leaders, including kings and tyrants. While there certainly are many negative aspects of oligarchies, there are some positive ones, too. One of the main pros of oligarchy is that it puts power in the hands of people who are often experts and can make informed decisions for the populous or company.

It therefore is more efficient than every single person being able to make decisions, and can often free up people to focus on their own work or lives. Still, there are plenty of downsides to an oligarchical government or management structure. While oligarchies may free up others to focus on their craft or daily lives, they can tend to skew decisions and policies to benefit themselves.

In that manner, oligarchies tend to increase income inequality , which helps the oligarchy grow in power and wealth. Along those lines, oligarchies can often manipulate the financial markets to their advantage, even if they are not natural or do not comply with the rules of supply and demand. Additionally, oligarchies can perpetuate bad policies by keeping those who are similar to them in power, which can create an unhealthy corporate or government community. There have been countless oligarchies wielding their power over governments and corporations alike over the years.

As far back as the s BCE, Greek city-states sported aristocracies which, as you remember, are oligarchies made up of the elite class in Sparta and Athens. Moreover, another antiquated example is Venice during the 14th century, where rich nobles called "patricians" controlled all the financial and political affairs of the city-state.

But Greece wasn't the only one - Russia has long been considered an oligarchy, up until But many argue it still is. In fact, all communist regimes could be considered oligarchies, where the few in power make executive decisions for the rest of the country or regime - often for their personal benefit or agenda.