Not to be confused with Oligopoly, a type of market structure which is controlled by a small number of firms.
Part of the Politics series
Basic forms of government
List of forms of government
List of countries by system of government
Source of power
Democracy (rule by many)
Demarchy
Direct
Liberal
Representative
Social
Socialist
Others
Oligarchy (rule by few)
Anocracy
Aristocracy
Gerontocracy
Kleptocracy
Kritarchy
Meritocracy
Noocracy
Particracy
Plutocracy
Stratocracy
Technocracy
Theocracy
Autocracy (rule by one)
Despotism
Dictatorship
Military dictatorship
Tyranny
Anarchy (rule by none)
Anarchism
Free association
Stateless
Power ideology
Monarchy
Republic
(socio-political ideologies)
Absolute
Communist
Constitutional
Directorial
Legalist
Parliamentary
Presidential
Semi-presidential
Authoritarian
Libertarian
(socio-economic ideologies)
Anarchism
Colonialism
Communism
Despotism
Distributism
Fascism
Feudalism
Socialism
Totalitarianism
Tribalism
Religious
Secular
State religion
Secular state
State atheism
Global
Local
(geo-cultural ideologies)
City-state
Intergovernmental organisation
National government
World government
Nationalism
Internationalism
Globalism
Power structure
Unitarism
Unitary state
Empire
Principality
Client state
Associated state
Dependent territory
Dominion
Protectorate
Puppet state
Puppet monarch
Satellite state
Self-governing colony
Tributary state
Buffer state
Vassal state
Viceroyalty
Federalism
Confederation
Devolution
Federation
Superstate
Supranational union
International relations
Small power
Regional power
Middle power
Great power
Superpower
Related
Administrative division
Democracy indices
Democratic transition
Autocratization
Democratisation
Hybrid regimes
Politics portal
v
t
e
Oligarchy (from Ancient Greek ὀλιγαρχία (oligarkhía) 'rule by few'; from ὀλίγος (olígos) 'few', and ἄρχω (árkhō) 'to rule, command')[1][2][3] is a conceptual form of power structure in which power rests with a small number of people. These people may or may not be distinguished by one or several characteristics, such as nobility, fame, wealth, education, or corporate, religious, political, or military control.
Throughout history, power structures considered to be oligarchies have often been viewed as coercive, relying on public obedience or oppression to exist. Aristotle pioneered the use of the term as meaning rule by the rich, contrasting it with aristocracy, arguing that oligarchy was the perverted form of aristocracy.[4]
^"ὀλίγος", Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek–English Lexicon, on Perseus Digital Library
^"ἄρχω", Liddell/Scott.
^"ὀλιγαρχία". Liddell/Scott.
^Winters (2011) pp. 26–28. "Aristotle writes that 'oligarchy is when men of property have the government in their hands... wherever men rule by reason of their wealth, whether they be few or many, that is an oligarchy, and where the poor rule, that is a democracy'."
Oligarchy (from Ancient Greek ὀλιγαρχία (oligarkhía) 'rule by few'; from ὀλίγος (olígos) 'few', and ἄρχω (árkhō) 'to rule, command') is a conceptual form...
The iron law of oligarchy is a political theory first developed by the German-born Italian sociologist Robert Michels in his 1911 book Political Parties...
The Meiji oligarchy was the new ruling class of Meiji period Japan. In Japanese, the Meiji oligarchy is called the domain clique (藩閥, hambatsu). The members...
discusses in the Republic five types of regimes: aristocracy, timocracy, oligarchy, democracy, and tyranny. The question raised by Plato in the Republic:...
democratic government of ancient Athens and replaced it with a short-lived oligarchy known as the Four Hundred. In the wake of the financial crisis caused...
the polity. Hereditary rule in this understanding is more related to oligarchy, a corrupted form of aristocracy where there is rule by a few, but not...
"member of an oligarchy; a person who is part of a small group holding power in a state". Gilded Age Russian oligarchs Ukrainian oligarchs Oligarchy Tai-pan...
of Japan Meiji era Imperial Constitution (1890–1947) Government Meiji oligarchy Meiji Restoration Abolition of the han system Boshin War Satsuma Rebellion...
characterize the U.S. as an "oligarchy" or "plutocracy" per se; however, they do apply the concept of "civil oligarchy" as used by Jeffrey A. Winters...
The planter class was a racial and socioeconomic caste which emerged in the Americas during European colonization in the early modern period. Members of...
of Japan Meiji era Imperial Constitution (1890–1947) Government Meiji oligarchy Meiji Restoration Abolition of the han system Boshin War Satsuma Rebellion...
whilst others are critical towards the country, calling it a repressive oligarchy. The opinions on the USSR are complex and have changed over time, with...
Decolonization Dynasty Government Head of state Legitimacy (political) Oligarchy Order of succession Republicanism Self-proclaimed monarchy Sovereignty...
prevalent forms of government include monarchy, aristocracy, timocracy, oligarchy, democracy, theocracy, and tyranny. These forms are not always mutually...
(Ancient Greek: οἱ τριάκοντα τύραννοι, hoi triákonta týrannoi) were an oligarchy that briefly ruled Athens from 405 BC - 404 BC. Installed into power by...
ISBN 0-674-01137-6. Hadiz, Vedi R.; Robison, Richard (2014). "Beyond Oligarchy". The political economy of oligarchy and the reorganization of power in Indonesia (PDF)....
of Japan. Politicians of the Meiji government were known as the Meiji oligarchy, who overthrew the Tokugawa shogunate. After the Meiji Restoration, the...
autocratic political system has been variously described as a kleptocracy, an oligarchy, and a plutocracy. It was the lowest rated European country in Transparency...
in its first 11 years of independence Greece was ruled by a Bavarian oligarchy led by Josef Ludwig von Armansperg and, later, by Otto himself, as King...
People (SPQR), expelled the monarchy from their city and established an oligarchic republic. The Italian Peninsula, named Italia, was consolidated into a...
of Japan Meiji era Imperial Constitution (1890–1947) Government Meiji oligarchy Meiji Restoration Abolition of the han system Boshin War Satsuma Rebellion...
ideas among the Criollo population in South America. However, the Criollo oligarchy in Peru enjoyed privileges and remained loyal to the Spanish Crown. The...
democratic archetype, ancient Athens, where the elections were considered an oligarchic institution and most political offices were filled using sortition, also...
Global Information
Politics portal