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Oligarchy

Topic: Philosophy

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Oligarchy (from grc ὀλιγαρχία (oligarkhía) 'rule by few'; from ὀλίγος (olígos) 'few', and ἄρχω (árkhō) 'to rule, command')[1][2][3] is a form of government in which power rests with a small number of people. Leaders of such regimes are often referred to as oligarchs, and generally are characterized by having titles of nobility or high amounts of wealth.[4][5][6]

Types

Minority rule

Main article: Social:Minoritarianism

The consolidation of power by a dominant minority, whether religious or ethnic, can be considered a form of oligarchy.[7] In these cases, oligarchic rule was often tied to the legacy of colonialism.[7] In the early 20th century, Robert Michels expanded on this idea in his iron law of oligarchy, arguing that even democracies, like all large organizations, tend to become oligarchic due to the necessity of dividing labor, which ultimately results in a ruling class focused on maintaining its power.[8][9]

Business oligarchies

Main article: Social:Business oligarch

Business groups may be considered oligarchies if they meet the following criteria:

  • They are the largest private owners in the country.
  • They possess sufficient political power to influence their own interests.
  • The owners control multiple businesses, coordinating activities across sectors.[10]

History

Classical antiquity

Many classical philosophers and thinkers opined about the characteristics of oligarchy. Aristotle pioneered the use of the term as meaning rule by the rich, contrasting it with aristocracy, arguing that oligarchy was a corruption of aristocracy.[11] Xenophon spoke in favor of a moderate oligarchy, though criticized the repressive regime of the Thirty Tyrants of Athens.[12] Polybius viewed oligarchy as a form of perverted aristocracy.[13]

Athens

See also: Social:Athenian democracy and Athens in the 5th century BC

The Ancient Greek word oligarchia is used by historians of Ancient Greece to describe the position of the Eupatridae, the aristocratic elite, of the city-state of Athens[14] before the succession of the tyrant Pisistratus in the mid-6th century BC, who dismantled this structure and replaced it with a semi-popular autocratic system.[15]

In 510 BC, the influential and exiled Athenian aristocrat Cleisthenes, of the powerful Alcmaeonid clan, convinced King Cleomenes I of Sparta to invade Athens, in order to overthrow Hippias. Cleomenes installed Isagoras, Cleisthenes's rival, as an oligarch.[16] Over the next few years, Cleisthenes and Isagoras entered into a power struggle.[17] With Isagoras calling for the Spartans to return to the city in support of him, Cleisthenes mobilised the middle class and overthrew Isagoras in the 508–507 BC Athenian Revolution. Cleisthenes' reforms laid the foundation for Athenian democracy.[18]

Reaction against the Spartan hegemony also turned several oligarchies in the Peloponnese into democracies.[19] However, the elite soon came into conflict with the people, or demos, specifically in Aegina, Syracuse, and Naxos in the 500s and 490s BC.[20] Soon many city-states had settled into a fairly constant system of plutocracy (rule by the rich), with the demos being used periodically by the weaker party and otherwise being out of power.[21] Many nominally democratic Greek city-states, despite frequent revolt by the demos, remained firmly controlled by the wealthy elite, who spurned attempts to allow commoners into power.[22]

In 493 BC, Themistocles became archon and greatly increased the power of the Athenian navy, which allowed the lower classes, through their military might, to influence Athenian politics. The first of a group of Athenian populists,[23] Themistocles ruled Athens for over twenty years, and is best known as the victor of the Greco-Persian Wars.[24]

When Themistocles fell from power around 471 BC, the Areopagus, an aristocratic council which was formerly the most powerful body in Athens, began to gain more prominence, spearheaded by the conservative politician Cimon, a strategos who oversaw an aggressive expansionist policy for the Athenian Empire amid closer relations with Sparta. Cimon's failed attempt to provide military aid to Sparta caused him to lose the support of the Athenians, allowing the democratic faction to make a bid for power.[25] In 461 BC, politician Ephialtes, who supported radical democracy, proposed a law to limit the Areopagus' powers, which the ecclesia, or Assembly, passed unanimously.[26] The ancient boule, or Council of Five Hundred, which had also existed under the old oligarchy, but whose membership had been changed from being hereditary to being chosen by lot, took over its remaining functions.[27] Cimon was ostracized for ten years by Ephialtes and his supporters.[26]

Ephialtes was assassinated in 461 BC, possibly by the aristocrats.[28] In the aftermath of Ephialtes' death, power in Athens was consolidated by his protegé, Pericles, who led Athens for over thirty years, presiding over the Delian League during the First Peloponnesian War with Sparta.[29] After the Thirty Years' Peace was concluded with Sparta in 445 BC, Thucydides, son of Melesias (not to be confused with Thucydides the historian), a relative of Cimon and the new head of the conservative faction, attempted to gain power using the Ecclesia. Pericles' powerful oratory instead led to Thucydides' being ostracised.[30]

The Thirty Tyrants were an oligarchy that briefly ruled Athens from 404 BC to 403 BC. Installed into power by the Spartans after the Athenian surrender in the Peloponnesian War, the Thirty became known for their tyrannical rule, first being called "The Thirty Tyrants" by Polycrates.[31] Although they maintained power for only eight months, their reign resulted in the killing of 5% of the Athenian population, the confiscation of citizens' property, and the exile of other democratic supporters.[32]

Sparta

Ancient Sparta, ruled by two kings, had a domestic government that was described as aristocratic.[33][34] The ephors were a board of five magistrates in ancient Sparta. They had an extensive range of judicial, religious, legislative, military, and diplomatic powers. These powers could shape Sparta's home and foreign affairs.[35]

By country

Jeffrey A. Winters and Benjamin I. Page have described Colombia, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore and the United States as oligarchies.[36]

The Philippines

During the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos from 1965 to 1986, several monopolies arose in the Philippines, primarily linked to the Marcos family and their close associates. Analysts have described this period, and even subsequent decades, as an era of oligarchy in the Philippines.[37][38][39][40]

President Rodrigo Duterte, elected in 2016, promised to dismantle the oligarchy during his presidency.[41][40] However, corporate oligarchy persisted throughout his tenure. While Duterte criticized prominent tycoons such as the Ayalas and Manny Pangilinan, corporate figures allied with Duterte, including Dennis Uy of Udenna Corporation, benefitted during his administration.[42]

Russia

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the subsequent privatization of state-owned assets, a class of Russian business oligarchs emerged. These oligarchs gained control of significant portions of the economy, especially in the energy, metals, and natural resources sectors.[43] Many of these individuals maintained close ties with government officials, particularly the president, leading some to characterize modern Russia as an oligarchy intertwined with the state.[44]

In 1996, fearing the possible victory of the Communist Party, the oligarchs, especially the Seven Bankers, funded and substantially supported Boris Yeltsin's re-election campaign in that year's election, continuing to manipulate him and exert influence over his government over the next several years.[45] After Yeltsin's successor, Vladimir Putin, came to power in 1999, he cracked down on many oligarchs, arresting several for tax evasion and forcing others into exile.[46] By the end of the 2000s decade, however, Putin had created a new class of oligarchs consisting mainly of his own personal friends and colleagues, continuing to crack down on those who opposed him.[47] According to NPR, he "changed the guy sitting in [the] chairs, but he didn't change the chairs".[48]

India

In 2023, Robert Lighthizer, the architect of American trade policy during the first presidency of Donald Trump, wrote in his book No Trade is Free that, "fifteen or so billionaires" shaped India's trading policy. Terming them "oligarchs", Lighthizer called India "the most protectionist country in the world".[49]

Adani Group, owned by India's richest man Gautam Adani, immensely benefitted from the Modi government. After Narendra Modi became prime minister in 2014, Adani won bids to operate six Indian airports despite lacking any experience in the sector. His wealth increased by about $100 billion during just 2020–2023.[50] However, in 2024, this came to be seen as a "cautionary tale" with regards to cronyism under the Modi government after Hindenburg Research accused Adani of fraud and stock manipulation, which resulted in Adani Group losing $110 billion in market value within days.[51]

Iran

Main articles: Religion:Khomeinism and Velayat-e-faqih

The Islamic Republic of Iran, established after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, is sometimes described as a clerical oligarchy. Its ruling system, known as Velayat-e-Faqih (Governance of the Jurists), places power in the hands of a small group of high-ranking Shia clerics, led by the Supreme Leader. This group holds significant influence over the country's legislative, military, and economic affairs, and critics argue that this system concentrates power in a religious elite, marginalizing other voices within society.[52][53]

Ukraine

Since Ukraine's independence in 1991, a powerful class of business elites, known as Ukrainian oligarchs, have played a significant role in the country's politics and economy. These oligarchs gained control of state assets during the rapid privatization that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union.[10] President Leonid Kuchma's multi-vector policy, which favored close relations with both the West and Russia, was seen as appeasing both groups' oligarchical business interests.[54] In 2021, Ukraine passed a law aimed at curbing oligarchic influence on politics and the economy.[9][55]

United States

The Bosses of the Senate, corporate interests as giant money bags looming over senators

Several commentators and scholars have suggested that the United States demonstrates characteristics of an oligarchy, particularly in relation to the concentration of wealth and political influence among a small elite,[56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63] as exemplified by the list of top donors to political parties.[64][65][66]

Economist Simon Johnson argued that the rise of an American financial oligarchy became particularly prominent following the 2008 financial crisis.[67] This financial elite has been described as wielding significant power over both the economy and political decisions. Former President Jimmy Carter in 2015 characterized the United States as an "oligarchy with unlimited political bribery" following the 2010 Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court decision, which removed limits on donations to political campaigns.[68]

In 2014, a study by political scientists Martin Gilens of Princeton University and Benjamin Page of Northwestern University argued that the United States' political system does not primarily reflect the preferences of its average citizens. Their analysis of policy outcomes between 1981 and 2002 suggested that wealthy individuals and business groups held substantial influence over political decisions, often sidelining the majority of Americans.[69][70] While the United States maintains democratic features such as regular elections, freedom of speech, and widespread suffrage, the study noted that policy decisions are disproportionately influenced by economic elites.[71] However, the study received criticism from other scholars, who argued that the influence of average citizens should not be discounted and that the conclusions about oligarchic tendencies were overstated.[72] Gilens and Page defended their research, reiterating that while they do not label the United States an outright oligarchy, they found substantial evidence of economic elites dominating certain areas of policy-making.[73]

Template:Authoritarian drift during the second Trump administration sidebar

In his presidential farewell address on January 15, 2025, outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden warned that an oligarchy was taking shape in America which threatened democracy, basic rights, and freedom, aided by a tech–industrial complex in what Politico described as "echoing Roosevelt's language in calling out the 'robber barons' of a new dystopian Gilded Age".[74][75][76] Elon Musk, a close collaborator of Donald Trump during his 2024 campaign and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has been described as an oligarch due to his extensive influence on Trump during his second presidency.[77][78][79][80][81][82] Musk contributed over $200 million into the 2024 election, creating a "super" PAC to promote Trump's campaign.[83][84][85] Two-time presidential candidate and progressive leader Bernie Sanders started his Fighting Oligarchy ("Where We Go from Here") Tour across America in response to Trump's election victory.[86]

In their 2009 paper, "Oligarchy in the United States?", political scientists Benjamin Page and Jeffrey Winters argue that the common interests of an oligarchy lie more in "wealth protection" than in controlling all political life. They define an oligarchy as a "type of political system" in which "the wealthiest citizens deploy unique and concentrated power resources to defend their unique minority interests", and that their disproportionate influence over policymaking may not reflect the broader public's interest. Oligarchs do not need to hold formal government positions, as indirect influence can be sufficient. Winter and Page identified several mechanisms through which economic elites can exercise influence in the U.S. democratic system, including lobbying, shaping public opinion, and funding electoral campaigns.[87]

Political science

Scholars have also noted that modern democratic systems often exhibit structural biases favoring affluent citizens and organized corporate interests.[88][89][90][91] Political scientist and oligarchy scholar, Jeffrey Winters, cautions democracy and oligarchy can co-exist, but tension arises when a majority of voters opposes unequal wealth distribution and desires a more equitable distribution of wealth.[92][93][94]

Some commentators also use the concept more broadly to describe modern political systems where the wealthy wield disproportionate political influence. Under this system, an oligarchy can coexist with democratic institutions and involve the wealthy having power without holding formal government positions.[95] According to Harvard Review, lobbying can allow concentrated wealth to access and shape political decisions and policy outcomes, typically for favorable tax policies, without holding any formal government positions. The field has become increasingly professionalized and resource-intensive.[91][87] Significant campaign contributions influence who becomes elected to office.[96][92][97][87] The opinion shaping of voters can influence who gets heard by formal decision-makers and crowding out ordinary citizens.[87] Oligarchies also use financial resources and political networks to shape constitutional design. This includes supporting the appointments of judges that have legal interpretations that align with their economic interests.[87]

See also

Notes

References

  1. ↑ "ὀλίγος", Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek–English Lexicon, on Perseus Digital Library
  2. ↑ "ἄρχω", Liddell/Scott.
  3. ↑ "ὀλιγαρχία". Liddell/Scott.
  4. ↑ Winters, Jeffrey A. (18 April 2011). Oligarchy. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-139-49564-6. https://books.google.com/books?id=trsFIM5h3P8C&dq=oligarchy&pg=PR9. 
  5. ↑ Bourguignon, François; Verdier, Thierry (2000). "Oligarchy, democracy, inequality and growth". Journal of Development Economics 62 (2): 285–313. doi:10.1016/S0304-3878(00)00086-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3878(00)00086-9. 
  6. ↑ "Oligarchy | Definition & Facts | Britannica". https://www.britannica.com/topic/oligarchy. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Coleman, James; Rosberg, Carl (1966). Political Parties and National Integration in Tropical Africa. Los Angeles: University of California Press. pp. 681–683. ISBN 978-0520002531. https://archive.org/details/politicalparties0000cole. 
  8. ↑ Michels, Robert; Paul, E.; Paul, C. (1915). Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy. Hearst's International Library Company. p. 401. https://books.google.com/books?id=8XXl87CLp5cC. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Mulroy, Claire (March 10, 2023). "This form of government leaves power in the hands of a few: Oligarchies explained". USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2023/03/10/oligarchy-government-power-explained/11338810002/. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Chernenko, Demid (2018). "Capital structure and oligarch ownership". Economic Change and Restructuring (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) 52 (4): 383–411. doi:10.1007/S10644-018-9226-9. https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/83641/1/MPRA_paper_83641.pdf. 
  11. ↑ Flensted-Jensen, Pernille; Nielsen, Thomas Heine; Hansen, Mogens Herman; Rubinstein, Lene (2000). Polis & Politics: Studies in Ancient Greek History. Museum Tusculanum Press. ISBN 978-87-7289-628-1. https://books.google.com/books?id=SIAO_OsNG_gC&dq=oligarchy&pg=PT41. 
  12. ↑ Christ, Matthew R. (3 September 2020). Xenophon and the Athenian Democracy. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-108-85243-2. https://books.google.com/books?id=Xx_5DwAAQBAJ&dq=xenophon%20oligarchy&pg=PA29. 
  13. ↑ "Polybius on Governments". https://www.uvm.edu/~bsaylor/classics/polybius6.html. 
  14. ↑ Simonton 2017, p. 21.
  15. ↑ Rosivach, Vincent J. (1988). "The Tyrant in Athenian Democracy". Quaderni Urbinati di Cultura Classica 30 (3): 43–57. doi:10.2307/20546964. 
  16. ↑ Herodotus, Histories, 5.70
  17. ↑ Lewis, D. M. (1963). "Cleisthenes and Attica". Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte 12 (1): 25. ISSN 0018-2311. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4434773. 
  18. ↑ Hayek, Friedrich A. von (1960). The Constitution of Liberty. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 238–242. ISBN 0-226-32084-7. OCLC 498999. 
  19. ↑ Simonton 2017, pp. 23–24.
  20. ↑ Simonton 2017, p. 27.
  21. ↑ Simonton 2017, p. 28.
  22. ↑ Alwine, Andrew (2018). "The Soul of Oligarchy". Tapa (Johns Hopkins University Press) 148 (2): 235–267. doi:10.1353/apa.2018.0010. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26695493. Retrieved April 24, 2025. 
  23. ↑ Holland, Tom (2005). Persian Fire. Abacus. pp. 114–117. ISBN 978-0-349-11717-1. https://archive.org/details/persianfirefirst00tomh. 
  24. ↑ Burn, Andrew Robert; Rhodes, P. J. (7 March 2016). "Themistocles, Athenian politician, c. 524–459 BCE". Oxford Classical Dictionary (Oxford Research). doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.013.6340. ISBN 978-0-19-938113-5. https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-6340. Retrieved April 25, 2025. 
  25. ↑ Plutarch, Lives. Life of Cimon.(University of Calgary/Wikisource)
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Goušchin, Valerij (26 February 2019). "Plutarch on Cimon, Athenian Expeditions, and Ephialtes' Reform (Plut. Cim. 14–17)" (in en). Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 59 (1): 38–56. ISSN 2159-3159. https://grbs.library.duke.edu/article/view/16194. Retrieved April 25, 2025. 
  27. ↑ Abbott, Evelyn (1891). Pericles and the golden age of Athens. G. P. Putnam's sons. pp. 85–88. https://archive.org/details/periclesandgold00abbogoog. Retrieved April 25, 2025. 
  28. ↑ Rollar, Duane W. (1989). "Who Murdered Ephialtes?". Historia (JSTOR) 38 (3): 257–266. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4436111. Retrieved April 25, 2025. 
  29. ↑ Bagnall, Nigel (2006). The Inter-War Years 480-431 BC – The Peloponnesian War: Athens, Sparta and the Struggle for Greece. New York: Thomas Dunne Books. p. 123. 
  30. ↑ Plutarch, Pericles 11.2
  31. ↑ Krentz, Peter. The Thirty at Athens p. 50 (hardcover ISBN 0801414504)
  32. ↑ Wolpert, Andrew. Remembering Defeat: Civil War and Civic Memory in Ancient Athens. (hardcover ISBN 0-8018-6790-8).
  33. ↑ Whitby, Michael (13 September 2013). Sparta. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-72711-7. https://books.google.com/books?id=9VfbAAAAQBAJ&dq=spartan%20oligarchy&pg=PA45. 
  34. ↑ Cartledge, Paul (1978). "Literacy in the Spartan Oligarchy". The Journal of Hellenic Studies 98: 25–37. doi:10.2307/630191. https://doi.org/10.2307/630191. 
  35. ↑ Rahe, Paul A. (1980). "The Selection of Ephors at Sparta". Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte 29 (4): 385–401. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4435730. 
  36. ↑ Winters, Jeffrey; Page, Benjamin (2009). "Oligarchy in the United States?". Perspectives on Politics 7 (4): 731–751. December 2009. doi:10.1017/S1537592709991770. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/231898807. Retrieved 2022-03-12. "the concept of oligarchy can be fruitfully applied not only to places like Singapore, Colombia, Russia, and Indonesia.". 
  37. ↑ Hutchcroft, Paul D. (April 1991). "Oligarchs and Cronies in the Philippine State the Politics of Patrimonial Plunder" (in en). World Politics 43 (3): 414–450. doi:10.2307/2010401. ISSN 1086-3338. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/world-politics/article/abs/oligarchs-and-cronies-in-the-philippine-state-the-politics-of-patrimonial-plunder/ED0D256E6AA60C7FE702B4068CCAE06D. 
  38. ↑ Mendoza, Ronald U.; Bulaong, Oscar Jr.; Mendoza, Gabrielle Ann S. (1 February 2022). "Cronyism, Oligarchy and Governance in the Philippines: 1970s vs 2020s". SSRN 4032259.
  39. ↑ Quimpo, Nathan Gilbert (2015), "Can the Philippines' wild oligarchy be tamed?", Routledge Handbook of Southeast Asian Democratization, Routledge, pp. 347–362, doi:10.4324/9781315674735-30, ISBN 978-1-315-67473-5, https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315674735-30/philippines-wild-oligarchy-tamed-nathan-gilbert-quimpo, retrieved 2022-05-15 
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 "Explainer: The oligarchy in the Philippines is more than just one family or firm". https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/07/19/2028001/explainer-oligarchy-more-just-one-family-or-firm. 
  41. ↑ Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos. "Duterte takes pride in dismantling oligarchy" (in en). Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1134133. 
  42. ↑ Esmael, Lisbet (June 29, 2022). "Businesses under Duterte administration: Who gained, who got hurt?". https://www.cnnphilippines.com/business/2022/6/29/Businesses-under-Duterte-administration-Who-gained-got-hurt.html. 
  43. ↑ Scheidel, Walter (2017). The Great Leveler: Violence and the History of Inequality from the Stone Age to the Twenty-First Century. Princeton University Press. pp. 51 & 222–223. ISBN 978-0691165028. 
  44. ↑ "Russian oligarchs: What are they and how have they changed over time?". https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60731864. 
  45. ↑ Treisman, Daniel (November–December 2000). "Blaming Russia First". Foreign Affairs. http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20001101fareviewessay946/daniel-treisman/blaming-russia-first.html. Retrieved May 13, 2025. 
  46. ↑ "European Court: Khodorkovsky's Rights Violated" (in en). https://www.rferl.org/a/european_court_rules_khodorkovskys_rights_violated/24210627.html. 
  47. ↑ Aslund, Anders (2019-08-13) (in en-US). Putin's Economic Policy and Its Consequences. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0190697761. 
  48. ↑ "What Americans can learn from the story of Russia's oligarchs" (in en). 2025-02-04. https://www.ijpr.org/npr-news/2025-02-04/what-americans-can-learn-from-the-story-of-russias-oligarchs. 
  49. ↑ "'Fifteen or so billionaires': Former Trump aide claims they shaped India's trade policy in book". 2025-08-21. https://www.businesstoday.in/india/story/fifteen-or-so-billionaires-former-trump-aide-claims-they-shaped-indias-trade-policy-in-book-490403-2025-08-21. 
  50. ↑ "Indian billionaire businessman Gautam Adani faces scrutiny". 2023-04-24. https://theworld.org/stories/2023/04/24/indian-billionaire-businessman-gautam-adani-faces-scrutiny. 
  51. ↑ Ghosh, Jayati (2023-02-26). "The Crisis of India's Oligarchy" (in ru). https://forbes.kz/articles/the_crisis_of_indias_oligarchy. 
  52. ↑ Kazemzadeh, Masoud (2020). Iran's Foreign Policy: Elite Factionalism, Ideology, the Nuclear Weapons Program, and the United States. New York: Routledge. pp. 1–19. ISBN 978-0-367-49545-9. 
  53. ↑ Amuzager, Jahangir (2014). The Islamic Republic of Iran: Reflections on an Emerging Economy. New York: Routledge. pp. 48–50, 88–89. ISBN 978-1-85743-748-5. 
  54. ↑ Riabchuk, Mykola (2012). "Ukraine's 'muddling through': National identity and postcommunist transition". Communist and Post-Communist Studies 45 (3–4): 439–446. doi:10.1016/j.postcomstud.2012.06.007. 
  55. ↑ "Zelensky's battle against oligarchs: What does the new law mean?". https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/23/ukraine-passes-controversial-anti-oligarch-bill. 
  56. ↑ Kroll, Andy (2 December 2010). "The New American Oligarchy". TomDispatch (Truthout). http://archive.truthout.org/andy-kroll-the-new-american-oligarchy65597. 
  57. ↑ Starr, Paul (24 August 2012). "America on the Brink of Oligarchy". The New Republic. http://www.tnr.com/article/magazine/books-and-arts/106430/money-politics-inequality-power-one-percent-move-on-effect. 
  58. ↑ Winters, Jeffrey A. (November–December 2011). "Oligarchy and Democracy". The American Interest 7 (2). http://www.the-american-interest.com/articles/2011/09/28/oligarchy-and-democracy/. Retrieved 17 August 2012. 
  59. ↑ Herbert, Bob (19 July 1998). "The Donor Class". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/19/opinion/in-america-the-donor-class.html. 
  60. ↑ Confessore, Nicholas; Cohen, Sarah; Yourish, Karen (10 October 2015). "The Families Funding the 2016 Presidential Election". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/10/11/us/politics/2016-presidential-election-super-pac-donors.html. 
  61. ↑ "Is the U.S. witnessing the rise of oligarchy?". Oxfam. January 17, 2025. https://www.oxfamamerica.org/explore/issues/economic-justice/is-the-us-witnessing-the-rise-of-oligarchy/. 
  62. ↑ Gottschalk, Marie (2025). Crime and No Punishment: Wealth, Power, and Violence in America. Princeton University Press. p. 15. ISBN 978-0691275253. https://books.google.com/books?id=bF1OEQAAQBAJ&dq=crime%20and%20no%20punishment&pg=PA15. "Economic elites and organized groups representing their interests largely determine US government policy." 
  63. ↑ Michel, Casey (September 21, 2026). "We’re not in a new Gilded Age in America: inequality is now far worse". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/sep/21/wealth-gap-oligarchy-gilded-age. "Today’s wealth gap is much bigger, and the country’s richest have much more power than they once did. It’s an Age of Oligarchy" 
  64. ↑ Lichtblau, Eric; Confessore, Nicholas (10 October 2015). "From Fracking to Finance, a Torrent of Campaign Cash – Top Donors List". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/11/us/politics/wealthy-families-presidential-candidates.html#donors-list. 
  65. ↑ McCutcheon, Chuck (26 December 2014). "Why the 'donor class' matters, especially in the GOP presidential scrum". "The Christian Science Monitor. https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/Politics-Voices/2014/1226/Why-the-donor-class-matters-especially-in-the-GOP-presidential-scrum. 
  66. ↑ Piketty, Thomas (2014). Capital in the Twenty-First Century. Belknap Press. ISBN 067443000X p. 514 "The risk of a drift towards oligarchy is real and gives little reason for optimism about where the United States is headed."
  67. ↑ Johnson, Simon (May 2009). "The Quiet Coup". The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/05/the-quiet-coup/307364/?single_page=true. Retrieved 17 August 2012. 
  68. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (2015-07-31). "Jimmy Carter: America Is Now an 'Oligarchy'" (in en-US). Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/jimmy-carter-u-s-is-an-oligarchy-with-unlimited-political-bribery-63262/. Retrieved 2024-07-14. 
  69. ↑ "Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy". BBC. April 17, 2014. https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-27074746. 
  70. ↑ Gilens, Martin; Page, Benjamin I. (2014). "Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens". Perspectives on Politics 12 (3): 564–581. doi:10.1017/S1537592714001595. 
  71. ↑ Prokop, A. (18 April 2014) "The new study about oligarchy that's blowing up the Internet, explained" Vox
  72. ↑ Bashir, Omar S. (1 October 2015). "Testing Inferences about American Politics: A Review of the "Oligarchy" Result" (in en). Research & Politics 2 (4). doi:10.1177/2053168015608896. ISSN 2053-1680. 
  73. ↑ Gilens, Martin; Page, Benjamin I. (2021-12-07). "Critics argued with our analysis of U.S. political inequality. Here are 5 ways they're wrong." (in en-US). Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/05/23/critics-challenge-our-portrait-of-americas-political-inequality-heres-5-ways-they-are-wrong/. 
  74. ↑ Wren, Adam (January 16, 2025). "Playbook: The 'tech-industrial complex' comes to Washington". Politico. https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2025/01/16/the-tech-industrial-complex-comes-to-washington-00198612. 
  75. ↑ Watson, Kathryn (2025-01-16). "In final address, Biden warns of rise of "tech industrial complex" while outlining threats, challenges - CBS News" (in en-US). https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-primetime-farewell-address/. 
  76. ↑ "Biden warns of dangers of oligarchy taking shape in US" (in en-gb). 2025-01-16. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1weqzl3ydro.amp. 
  77. ↑ Lunday, Chris (February 18, 2025). "Germany's Habeck slams 'tech oligarch' Musk, calls for a European X". Politico Europe. https://www.politico.eu/article/germanys-habeck-rails-against-musk-as-a-tech-oligarch-calls-for-european-alternative-to-x/. 
  78. ↑ Inskeep, Steve (February 4, 2025). "What Americans can learn from the story of Russia's oligarchs". NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/02/04/nx-s1-5269732/oligarchy-russia-united-states-trump-musk-bezos. 
  79. ↑ Kuper, Simon (2023-10-28). "From Putin to Musk: the making of a modern-day oligarch". Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/1da1da6b-9410-4ab5-a295-f3a9e48f9977. 
  80. ↑ Merrin, William; Hoskins, Andrew. Sharded Media: Trump's Rage Against the Mainstream. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 83–108. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-84786-8_5. ISBN 978-3-031-84786-8. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-84786-8_5. Retrieved April 21, 2025. 
  81. ↑ Pruszyinski, Katie (March 24, 2025). "Trump 2.0 and the New American Oligarchy". Political Insight 16 (1): 8–11. doi:10.1177/20419058251332336a. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20419058251332336a. Retrieved April 21, 2025. 
  82. ↑ Naudé, Wim (22 March 2025). The Economic Decline of the West: Guns, Oil, and Oligarchs. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 55–96. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-82299-5_3. ISBN 978-3-031-82298-8. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-82299-5_3. Retrieved April 21, 2025. 
  83. ↑ Boak, Josh (January 16, 2025). "Biden warns the US risks becoming an 'oligarchy.' What does the term mean?". https://apnews.com/article/oligarchy-biden-zuckerburg-bezos-musk-altman-a44e281c6dbf2fd6cd174f13cdcdc1c5. 
  84. ↑ Piper, Jessica (December 5, 2024). "Elon Musk was behind mysterious pro-Trump super PAC that invoked Ruth Bader Ginsburg". Politico. https://www.politico.com/elon-musk-trump-donations-super-pac. 
  85. ↑ Kim, Whizy (November 25, 2024). "Elon Musk and the age of shameless oligarchy". Vox. https://www.vox.com/money/387348/elon-musk-trump-president-billionaire-oligarchy. 
  86. ↑ Semafor: AOC, Sanders erase Biden as progressive movement moves on
  87. ↑ 87.0 87.1 87.2 87.3 87.4 Winters, Jeffrey A.; Page, Benjamin I. (2009). "Oligarchy in the United States?" (in en). Perspectives on Politics 7 (4): 731–751. doi:10.1017/S1537592709991770. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/231898807. Retrieved 2025-12-29. 
  88. ↑ Sevenans, Julie; Marié, Awenig; Breunig, Christian; Walgrave, Stefaan; Soontjens, Karolin; Vliegenthart, Rens (2025). "Are poor people poorly heard?" (in en). European Journal of Political Research 64 (3): 1326–1350. doi:10.1111/1475-6765.12750. ISSN 1475-6765. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1475-6765.12750. 
  89. ↑ Lupu, Noam; Warner, Zach (2022). "Why are the affluent better represented around the world?" (in en). European Journal of Political Research 61 (1): 67–85. doi:10.1111/1475-6765.12440. ISSN 1475-6765. 
  90. ↑ Berman, Russell (2025-03-06). "The Specter of American Oligarchy" (in en). https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2025/03/america-oligarchy-elon-musk-tech-trump/681942/. 
  91. ↑ 91.0 91.1 "Unmaking Democracy: How Corporate Influence Is Eroding Democratic Governance" (in en). 2020-05-04. https://hir.harvard.edu/unmaking-democracy-how-corporate-influence-is-eroding-democratic-governance/. 
  92. ↑ 92.0 92.1 "Rich people rule!" (in en-US). The Washington Post. 2014-04-08. ISSN 0190-8286. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2014/04/08/rich-people-rule/. 
  93. ↑ Drutman, Lee (2025-04-28). "Democrats keep saying America is an "oligarchy." Is that true?" (in en-US). https://www.vox.com/politics/410415/america-oligarchy-economics-donald-trump-democracy. 
  94. ↑ Winters, Jeffrey A. (2017). "Wealth Defense and the Complicity of Liberal Democracy". Nomos 58: 158–225. ISSN 0078-0979. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26785952. 
  95. ↑ "Oligarchy in the open: What happens now as the U.S. Is forced to confront its plutocracy problem?". https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty-research/policycast/oligarchy-open-what-happens-now-us-forced-confront-its-plutocracy. 
  96. ↑ "How Campaign Contributions and Lobbying Can Lead to Inefficient Economic Policy" (in en). 2014-05-02. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/how-campaign-contributions-and-lobbying-can-lead-to-inefficient-economic-policy/. 
  97. ↑ "Is the U.S. witnessing the rise of oligarchy?" (in en-US). https://www.oxfamamerica.org/explore/issues/economic-justice/is-the-us-witnessing-the-rise-of-oligarchy/. 

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