Oligarchy

Oligarchy (from Greek: Ὀλιγαρχία, oligarkhía, "rule of the few") refers to a situation in which political power resides in a particular minority group, as opposed to a single individual or a broader base. This label applies irrespective of the type of group wielding political power, for which there are more specific terms; "oligarchy" thus covers a rather wide range of possible political arrangements.

In practice, many governments that begin in some other form mutate into a type of oligarchy, even though they may retain the trappings of their origins. This usually results from the longtime association and alliance-building of certain individuals or factions in government. While oligarchic rule is not necessarily harmful in and of itself, the concentration of power can be conducive to exploitation or exclusion of the more numerous segments of the populace by the oligarchs (or to the perception by the populace that such activities are occurring, regardless of whether they are or not).