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Revision as of 22:55, 29 December 2001 by Ap (talk | contribs) (copyedit)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)An oligarchy is a form of government where power is effectively vested in only a segment of the governed society (typically the richest segment), the result is a government of the few against the many. Often, these oligarchies are organized into powerful families, where the children are raised and groomed simply to propagate and advance the power of the oligarchy, usually at the expense of the governed. Oligarchies often arise as a natural course of maturing of a republic, and often devolve into authoritarian governments, as one family gains supremacy over all of the others.
See also: dictatorship, monarchy, democracy, crony capitalism