Editing Oligarchy (section)

=== United States ===
{{Further|Income inequality in the United States#Democracy and society|Politics of the United States#Oligarchy}}
[[File:The Bosses of the Senate by Joseph Keppler.jpg|thumb|240px|''[[The Bosses of the Senate]]'', [[Corporatocracy|corporate interests]] as giant money bags looming over [[United States Senate|senators]]]]
Several commentators and scholars have suggested that the United States demonstrates characteristics of an oligarchy, particularly in relation to the concentration of wealth and political influence among a small elite,<ref name="Kroll 2010-12-02">{{cite news |first=Andy |last=Kroll |title=The New American Oligarchy |date=2 December 2010 |publisher=[[Truthout]] |url=http://archive.truthout.org/andy-kroll-the-new-american-oligarchy65597 |work=TomDispatch |access-date=17 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120122032008/http://archive.truthout.org/andy-kroll-the-new-american-oligarchy65597 |archive-date=22 January 2012 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.tnr.com/article/magazine/books-and-arts/106430/money-politics-inequality-power-one-percent-move-on-effect |title=America on the Brink of Oligarchy |magazine=The New Republic |date=24 August 2012 |last1=Starr |first1=Paul}}</ref><ref name="TAI 11-12/2011"> {{cite journal |title=Oligarchy and Democracy |url=http://www.the-american-interest.com/articles/2011/09/28/oligarchy-and-democracy/ |journal=[[The American Interest]] |date=November–December 2011 |orig-year=28 September 2011 |first=Jeffrey A. |last=Winters |volume=7 |issue=2 |access-date=17 August 2012}}</ref><ref name="NYT-19980719">{{cite news |last=Herbert |first=Bob |author-link=Bob Herbert |title=The Donor Class |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/19/opinion/in-america-the-donor-class.html |date=19 July 1998 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=10 March 2016}}</ref><ref name="NYT-20151010">{{cite news |last1=Confessore |first1=Nicholas |last2=Cohen |first2=Sarah |last3=Yourish |first3=Karen |title=The Families Funding the 2016 Presidential Election |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/10/11/us/politics/2016-presidential-election-super-pac-donors.html |date=10 October 2015 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=10 March 2016}}</ref> as exemplified by the list of top donors to political parties.<ref name="NYT-20151010-el">{{cite news |last1=Lichtblau |first1=Eric |last2=Confessore |first2=Nicholas |title=From Fracking to Finance, a Torrent of Campaign Cash – Top Donors List |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/11/us/politics/wealthy-families-presidential-candidates.html#donors-list |date=10 October 2015 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=11 March 2016}}</ref><ref name="CS-20141226">{{cite news |last=McCutcheon |first=Chuck |title=Why the 'donor class' matters, especially in the GOP presidential scrum |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/Politics-Voices/2014/1226/Why-the-donor-class-matters-especially-in-the-GOP-presidential-scrum |date=26 December 2014 |work="[[The Christian Science Monitor]] |access-date=10 March 2016}}</ref><ref>[[Thomas Piketty|Piketty, Thomas]] (2014). ''[[Capital in the Twenty-First Century]].'' [[Belknap Press]]. {{ISBN|067443000X}} p. 514 "The risk of a drift towards oligarchy is real and gives little reason for optimism about where the United States is headed."</ref>

Economist [[Simon Johnson (economist)|Simon Johnson]] argued that the rise of an American financial oligarchy became particularly prominent following the 2008 financial crisis.<ref name="TA Johnson 2009-05">{{cite journal |title=The Quiet Coup |journal=The Atlantic |date=May 2009 |first=Simon |last=Johnson |author-link=Simon Johnson (economist) |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/05/the-quiet-coup/307364/?single_page=true |access-date=17 August 2012}}</ref> This financial elite has been described as wielding significant power over both the economy and political decisions. Former President [[Jimmy Carter]] in 2015 characterized the United States as an "oligarchy with unlimited political bribery" following the 2010 ''[[Citizens United v. FEC]]'' Supreme Court decision, which removed limits on donations to political campaigns.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kreps |first=Daniel |date=2015-07-31 |title=Jimmy Carter: America Is Now an 'Oligarchy' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/jimmy-carter-u-s-is-an-oligarchy-with-unlimited-political-bribery-63262/ |access-date=2024-07-14 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2014, a study by political scientists Martin Gilens of [[Princeton University]] and [[Benjamin Page]] of [[Northwestern University]] argued that the United States' political system does not primarily reflect the preferences of its average citizens. Their analysis of policy outcomes between 1981 and 2002 suggested that wealthy individuals and business groups held substantial influence over political decisions, often sidelining the majority of Americans.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens |last1=Gilens |first1=Martin |last2=Page |first2=Benjamin I. |journal=[[Perspectives on Politics]] |date=2014 |volume=12 |issue=3 |pages=564–581 |doi=10.1017/S1537592714001595 |doi-access=free}}</ref> While the United States maintains democratic features such as regular elections, freedom of speech, and widespread suffrage, the study noted that policy decisions are disproportionately influenced by economic elites.<ref>Prokop, A. (18 April 2014) [https://www.vox.com/2014/4/18/5624310/martin-gilens-testing-theories-of-american-politics-explained "The new study about oligarchy that's blowing up the Internet, explained"] ''Vox''</ref> However, the study received criticism from other scholars, who argued that the influence of average citizens should not be discounted and that the conclusions about oligarchic tendencies were overstated.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Testing Inferences about American Politics: A Review of the "Oligarchy" Result |journal=Research & Politics |date=1 October 2015 |issn=2053-1680 |pages=2053168015608896 |volume=2 |issue=4 |doi=10.1177/2053168015608896 |language=en |first=Omar S. |last=Bashir |doi-access=free}}</ref> Gilens and Page defended their research, reiterating that while they do not label the United States an outright oligarchy, they found substantial evidence of economic elites dominating certain areas of policy-making.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Gilens |first1=Martin |last2=Page |first2=Benjamin I. |date=2021-12-07 |title=Critics argued with our analysis of U.S. political inequality. Here are 5 ways they're wrong. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/05/23/critics-challenge-our-portrait-of-americas-political-inequality-heres-5-ways-they-are-wrong/ |access-date=2024-07-14 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

In his presidential [[Joe Biden's farewell address|farewell address]] on January 15, 2025, outgoing U.S. President [[Joe Biden]] warned that an oligarchy was taking shape in America which threatened democracy, basic rights, and freedom, aided by a [[tech–industrial complex]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Watson |first=Kathryn |date=2025-01-16 |title=In final address, Biden warns of rise of "tech industrial complex" while outlining threats, challenges - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-primetime-farewell-address/ |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-16 |title=Biden warns of dangers of oligarchy taking shape in US |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1weqzl3ydro.amp |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=BBC News |language=en-gb}}</ref> Businessman [[Elon Musk]], a close collaborator of [[Donald Trump]] during his [[Donald Trump 2024 presidential campaign|2024 campaign]] and head of the [[Department of Government Efficiency]], has been described as an oligarch due to his extensive influence on Trump during his second presidency.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/germanys-habeck-rails-against-musk-as-a-tech-oligarch-calls-for-european-alternative-to-x/|title=Germany’s Habeck slams 'tech oligarch' Musk, calls for a European X|last=Lunday|first=Chris|date=February 18, 2025|publisher=Politico Europe|access-date=February 20, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2025/02/04/nx-s1-5269732/oligarchy-russia-united-states-trump-musk-bezos|title=What Americans can learn from the story of Russia's oligarchs|last=Inskeep|first=Steve|publisher=NPR|date=February 4, 2025|access-date=February 14, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kuper |first=Simon |date=2023-10-28 |title=From Putin to Musk: the making of a modern-day oligarch |url=https://www.ft.com/content/1da1da6b-9410-4ab5-a295-f3a9e48f9977 |access-date=2025-02-04 |work=Financial Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-84786-8_5|last1=Merrin|first1=William|last2=Hoskins|first2=Andrew|title=Sharded Media: Trump's Rage Against the Mainstream|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|page=83–108|isbn=978-3-031-84786-8|access-date=April 21, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Pruszyinski |first=Katie |date=March 24, 2025 |title=Trump 2.0 and the New American Oligarchy |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20419058251332336a |journal=Political Insight |volume=16 |issue=1 |doi=10.1177/20419058251332336a |access-date=April 21, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Naudé |first=Wim |date=22 March 2025 |title=The Economic Decline of the West: Guns, Oil, and Oligarchs |url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-82299-5_3 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |page=55–96 |isbn=978-3-031-82298-8 |access-date=April 21, 2025}}</ref> Musk contributed over $200 million into the 2024 election, creating a "super" [[political action committee|PAC]] to promote Trump's campaign.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/oligarchy-biden-zuckerburg-bezos-musk-altman-a44e281c6dbf2fd6cd174f13cdcdc1c5|title=Biden warns the US risks becoming an ‘oligarchy.’ What does the term mean?|website=Associated Press|last1=Boak|first1=Josh|date=January 16, 2025|access-date=February 19, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/elon-musk-trump-donations-super-pac|title=Elon Musk was behind mysterious pro-Trump super PAC that invoked Ruth Bader Ginsburg|last=Piper|first=Jessica|publisher=Politico|date=December 5, 2024|access-date=February 15, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/money/387348/elon-musk-trump-president-billionaire-oligarchy|title=Elon Musk and the age of shameless oligarchy|date=November 25, 2024|last=Kim|first=Whizy|publisher=Vox|access-date=April 21, 2025}}</ref>