Oligarchy

All forms of government are oligarchic.

True political power has always been wielded by a small elite, regardless of the nature of government. Indeed several forms of government have come up trying to change this reality, but have become likewise themselves. Oligarchy is almost like a fact of life, albeit with variations.

The first case considered is that of an absolute monarchy. All power and authority is, in theory, vested in the monarch. But there are several others with considerable influence and power—ministers and advisers, royal family and nobles. While the monarch appears to be supreme, he/she is not all-powerful. True power is centred in this small group, making it an oligarchy.

This applies similarly to other autocracies. A single person cannot possibly have unlimited power and unquestioned authority. An autocrat will always have an ‘inner circle’—a small, dedicated team of which he/she is the leader. It will always be found that there is no omnipotent individual but a close group of oligarchs.

Consider a clearly visible form of oligarchy—a one-party state. Power is concentrated in top party leaders who have an almost total hold on government and political affairs. The top leaders may change with time but they are supreme within the party and no one outside the party has the strength to challenge them.

Representative democracy purports to be ‘government of the people’, with people choosing representatives to govern on their behalf through free and fair elections and competition. This is an idealized view, a mirage; in reality there are only a few parties with a real chance of forming the government. Within these parties also it is the top leaders who are in control of politics and policies. If only a few individuals in a few parties have political power, it amounts to true oligarchy.

Coming to the least oligarchic form of government, direct democracy gives the people all political power. Each person is equally central to decision-making and it appears to be true people’s government. However not all people are politically active, and some public figures or political leaders have much influence. It is not a true oligarchy in the sense that every person has equal power, but the oligarchs here influence public opinion and wield indirect power.

Finally, every regime is built on a set of principles and values, which are universal and irrefutable within it. These regimes eventually become controlled by extremists of its ideology, as has been observed in real life. Nations will come under ultranationalists. Theocracies will be taken over by religious hardliners. Conservative states will see the rise of conservative extremists, and so on. Those people whose ideology is the same as the principles of the state will gain power due to their irrefutability and become the oligarchs.

The nature of human politics is such that governments cannot possibly represent all the people and will be oligarchic. But what can be done is to create an oligarchy which benefits all the people. Governments should be structured so that the elites are competent and just rulers rather than whoever happened to gain power. Oligarchy may be the reality but it can surely be turned to benefit everyone.