Hi John,
When most people hear the word oligarchy, they immediately think of rich Russians draped in furs and dripping with jewels, maybe all sitting around a big table plotting. Possibly James Bond is involved somehow.
The reality is a lot more mundane, and a lot closer to home. The United States actually functions as an oligarchy, meaning we have a system of government where a small number of elites rule. Let’s take a look at what that means, and why it matters 👀
What Does It Mean to Have an Oligarchy?
According to a study by two political scientists, Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page, the wealthiest 10% of Americans have more than triple the amount of influence on Congress as ordinary citizens. Add that to the influence that business groups and special interest groups have, and statistically speaking, the government doesn’t care what 90% of Americans think. Instead, the wealthy have an outsized influence on our laws, which of course favor the wealthy, making them able to spend more to influence laws and so the cycle continues.
What Can We Do About It?
Just because this is the way our government currently works doesn't mean it has to stay that way. At its heart, this is a problem of corruption, caused by money in our political system.
And handily, we have a solution for corruption, including:
Be a part of the solution. Sign the pledge to fight corruption in politics today.
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