plutocracy
Sign in to saveA plutocracy () or plutarchy is a society that is ruled or controlled by people of great wealth or income. It can be considered a form of oligarchy (rule by the few) where the ruling few are wealthy. The first known use of the term in English dates from 1631. It is not rooted in any established political philosophy.
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A plutocracy is a society run or controlled by wealthy people, making it a type of oligarchy where those in power happen to be the rich. The term matters because it describes a specific form of inequality in who holds power—one based on wealth rather than other factors like education, nobility, or popular votes.
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- Usage
- Examples
- United States<!--'Donor Class' redirects here-->
- Post-World War II
- Causation
- See also
- References
- Further reading
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A plutocracy () or plutarchy is a society that is ruled or controlled by people of great wealth or income. It can be considered a form of oligarchy (rule by the few) where the ruling few are wealthy. The first known use of the term in English dates from 1631. It is not rooted in any established political philosophy.
==Usage== The term plutocracy is generally used as a pejorative to describe or warn against an undesirable condition. "Dollarocracy", an anglicised adaptation of the word "plutocracy", may refer to "a specifically American version of plutocracy".