An oligarchy is a form of government in which a small group of people hold most or all political power. The term has been used throughout history to describe power structures in which a small number of individuals hold power, often to the detriment of the broader population. Key features of an oligarchy include:

• Rule by the few: Oligarchies are characterized by the rule of a few persons or families.

• Wealth and power: Oligarchies are often associated with wealth and power, with the ruling elite exercising power in the interests of their own class.

• Coercion and oppression: Throughout history, power structures considered to be oligarchies have often been viewed as coercive, relying on public obedience or oppression to exist.

Examples of oligarchies include Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union and China since that countrys embrace of capitalism in the late 1970s. Some political scientists have also argued that the contemporary United States is an oligarchy or a plutocracy, because its great inequality of wealth and income enables economic elites and corporations to exercise significant political power.