Oligarchy supposes a social status with cultural and political implications.
Oligarchy is, for political science, the form of government in which power is exercised by a small group of people who belong to the same social class . By extension, the term is used to name the group of businessmen and wealthy individuals who usually act together to defend their interests .
The concept was born in Ancient Greece to refer to the degeneration of the aristocracy . When the aristocratic system began to be perpetuated by blood descent and the direction of the State was no longer in the hands of the most brilliant minds, people began to speak of oligarchy.
Brief historical overview of the oligarchy
The history of governments of an oligarchic nature dates back to the first social organizations of human beings as a species. Over the centuries, certain patterns associated with the birth of a system of this type have been repeated, such as commercial relations between various nations and the economic progress of a very limited sector of the population.
Writings on political topics that the ancient Greeks left behind, as is part of Plato's work, talk about these oligarchic systems of government, one of the most cited examples being that of the Thirty Tyrants , who governed the Athenian people. In the case of Athens, the oligarchy was overthrown to recover the democratic structure they had enjoyed until then.
It is interesting to note that oligarchy can be seen at different times in history, but also in very diverse civilizations , ranging from ancient Europeans to certain tribes in Africa, where power is designated in a council of elderly men who, Theoretically, they have enough wisdom to make the most important decisions, those that will guide their people along the path of progress.
Property owners, landowners and millionaires usually make up the oligarchy.
The concept today
Today, the term oligarch is often used to refer to millionaires, landowners and property owners . Oligarchy, in this sense, is a type of social status that has political (for example, through economic pressure to achieve greater benefits and advantages) and cultural (a certain clothing, shared tastes, etc.) implications.
The oligarchy does not conceive of social mobility . The new rich do not manage to enter oligarch circles, which defend a lineage similar to that of the nobility . When an oligarch suffers from financial problems, on the other hand, he tries to maintain his lifestyle in any way or, at least, appear to maintain it.
The stereotype of the oligarch is that of a subject without ethics or morals, willing to engage in corruption and violence to sustain his power, which he considers as an acquired right. Left-wing political parties usually have the oligarchy as their main enemy.
Oligarchy and control of power
Broadly speaking, it is correct to say that oligarchy is a concept opposed to democracy, since it is about concentrating power in a small group of people, instead of giving everyone the possibility to express their opinion and decide. In countries that have suffered periods of strong repression, the term oligarch is often used as an insult to a particular force, loaded with the frustration and resentment of a people who were stripped of their freedoms.
Corporate oligarchy is a form of power, which can be operational or governmental, in which a small group of people, sometimes from educational institutions or influential economic entities such as banks, act according to the principles of oligarchy, often overriding the official decisions of a country. A clear example today are certain multinational companies , which influence the movements of democratically elected rulers.