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appalachiablue

(41,052 posts)
Mon Feb 28, 2022, 11:45 PM Feb 2022

Oligarchy Countries 2022: World Population Review



- Spain, Ukrainian sailor tries to sink mega-yacht of a Russian oligarch. “He Makes the weapons that kill in my country.”
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- Oligarchy Countries 2022: World Population Review.

An oligarchy is a governmental system in which the government is controlled by a small group of people, or oligarchs. The term "oligarch" comes from an ancient Greek word, "oligarkhia", which means "the rule of the few." Oligarchs typically gain control through financial means, such as donating heavily to politicians who, in turn, rule in ways dictated by the oligarchs. However, oligarchs may also gain influence through their social status/nobility; fame; education; or political, religious, or military connections. Oligarchies in which a family rules often result in power being passed down from generation to generation. Several modern countries could be described as oligarchies, including Russia, China, and arguably even the United States.

Types of oligarchy: Oligarchy is actually an umbrella term that encompasses at least 13 specific variations of "rule of the few." For example, an aristocracy is an oligarchy in which the ruling class is made up of aristocrats or nobles. A plutocracy is an oligarchy in which the ruling class is made up of extremely wealthy individuals who use their money to influence policy, typically with the goal of making even more money.

Are oligarchies good, evil, or neutral?

In theory, oligarchies are neither good nor evil. For example, an oligarchy in which the ruling people always made the same decisions that the population at large would make would be governing in parallel to the will of the people. Most people would consider that a "good" oligarchy. However, many theorists, from Aristotle to influential Italian sociologist Robert Michels have observed that in the overwhelming majority of cases in which a few people are given power over a larger group, those few will eventually choose to establish policies that benefit themselves at the expense of the people as a whole. In other words, an oligarchy only becomes "evil" if and when the oligarchs act to remove the checks and balances on their own power, violate (or ignore) the rule of law, and put their own self interests ahead of those of the country's people—but they have a historic tendency to do so.

The impact of an oligarchy government on its people: When oligarchy governments become more self-serving, they typically become more authoritative and take on controlling, sometimes even oppressive or exploitative governmental policies. Income inequality tends to increase as wealth is funneled towards rulers instead of those in the working class. The middle class shrinks as the rich get richer and the poor grow poorer. Additionally, a soured oligarchy tends to inhibit economic growth and creative agility due to a ruling class focused on maintaining the status quo, typically at the expense of actions that would benefit the middle and lower classes. Lastly, an oligarchy can result in puppet leaders—weak politicians who present as strong leaders, but are in fact mere figureheads controlled by the oligarchs who funded their election campaigns.

- List of countries that are oligarchies*: - More + MAP, https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/oligarchy-countries

- Country, 2022 Population

Zimbabwe 15,331,428
North Korea 25,990,679
Venezuela 29,266,991
Saudi Arabia 35,844,909
Ukraine 43,192,122
Turkey 85,561,976
Iran 86,022,837
Russia 145,805,947
United States 334,805,269
China 1,448,471,400
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- "The Bosses of the Senate", corporate interests as giant money bags looming over senators. (19th c. US Gilded Age).

- Oligarchy (from Greek ὀλιγαρχία (oligarkhía); from ὀλίγος (olígos) 'few', and ἄρχω (arkho) 'to rule or to command') is a 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, oligarchies have often been tyrannical, relying on public obedience or oppression to exist. Aristotle pioneered the use of the term as meaning rule by the rich, for which another term commonly used today is plutocracy. In the early 20th century Robert Michels developed the theory that democracies, like all large organizations, tend to turn into oligarchies. In his "Iron law of oligarchy" he suggests that the necessary division of labor in large organizations leads to the establishment of a ruling class mostly concerned with protecting their own power.

- Minority rule, Main article: Minoritarianism: The exclusive consolidation of power by a dominant religious or ethnic minority has also been described as a form of oligarchy. Examples of this system include South Africa under apartheid, Liberia under Americo-Liberians, the Sultanate of Zanzibar, and Rhodesia, where the installation of oligarchic rule by the descendants of foreign settlers was primarily regarded as a legacy of various forms of colonialism. The modern US has also been described as an oligarchy because some literature has shown that economic elites & organized groups representing special interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while average citizens & mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence..

A 2014 study by political scientists Martin Gilens of Princeton Univ. & Benjamin Page of Northwestern Univ. stated that "majorities of the American public actually have little influence over the policies our government adopts." The study analyzed nearly 1,800 policies enacted by the US government, 1981-2002 and compared them to the expressed preferences of the American public as opposed to wealthy Americans & large special interest groups. It found that wealthy individuals & organizations representing business interests have substantial political influence, while average citizens & mass-based interest groups have little to none. The study did concede that "Americans do enjoy many features central to democratic governance, such as regular elections, freedom of speech & Association, & a widespread (if still contested) franchise." Gilens & Page do not characterize the US as an "oligarchy" per se; however, they do apply the concept of "civil oligarchy" as used by Jeffrey Winters with respect to the US.

Winters has posited a comparative theory of "oligarchy" in which the wealthiest citizens- even in a "civil oligarchy" like the US- dominate policy concerning crucial issues of wealth- & income protection. Gilens says that average citizens only get what they want if wealthy Americans & business-oriented interest groups also want it; & that when a policy favored by the majority of the American public is implemented, it is usually because the economic elites did not oppose it. Other studies have criticized the Page & Gilens study.. In a 2015 interview, former President Jimmy Carter stated that the US is now "an oligarchy with unlimited political bribery" due to the Citizens United v. FEC ruling... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligarchy
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https://www.ruetir.com/2022/02/28/spain-ukrainian-sailor-tries-to-sink-the-mega-yacht-of-a-russian-oligarch-he-makes-the-weapons-that-kill-in-my-country/
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Oligarchy Countries 2022: World Population Review (Original Post) appalachiablue Feb 2022 OP
WE MADE THE LIST! orwell Feb 2022 #1
Yay, Yay USA!!! appalachiablue Feb 2022 #2
Our Oligarchs... orwell Mar 2022 #3
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