the.com/oligarchy
democracy's wine cellar, where the bottles vote and the people pour.
means A form of government or organization in which power rests with a small, privileged group of people, often the wealthy or well-connected.
from From the Greek 'oligarkhia,' stitched together from 'oligoi' (few) and 'arkhein' (to rule) — literally 'rule by the few.' It arrives in English through Latin and French around the late Middle Ages, and it has always been the sour twin of 'democracy' (rule by the people), the two words coined by Greek thinkers who liked to name exactly how the few might quietly outvote the many.
- greek roots
- Means literally rule by the few
- iron law
- Michels said every organization drifts oligarchic
- study finding
- Princeton 2014 ranked US closer to oligarchy
- venice ran it
- Closed merchant elite ruled for centuries
- shape-shifter
- Hides inside democracies, monarchies, even revolutions
venetian republic — merchant families controlled government for 1,100 years until 1797
russian federation — oligarchs including roman abramovich and alisher usmanov control major industries since 1990s
saudi arabia — house of saud family with ~15,000 members holds all major power and wealth
ancient sparta — two kings plus council of 28 elders ruled until 371 bc