"command of political organizations and institutions by close-knit social groups (families or familial dynasties, groups of kin, closed associations, or tightly controlled interlinked networks of persons) for the purpose of the relatively exclusive control of economic resources and their distribution, these resources being vital to the existence of larger populations” (Kapferer 2005:1).
Kapferer, Bruce
2005 Introduction:
Oligarchic Corporations and New State Formations. In Oligarchs
and Oligopolies: New Formations of Global Power. Bruce Kapferer, ed. Pp. 1-23. New York: Berghahn.
Empirical research on the US as a system of "economic elite domination" or "biased pluralism" (i.e. oligarchy)
Gilens, Martin, and Benjamin Page. 2014. Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens. Perspectives on Politics 12(3): 581.
"Multivariate analysis indicates that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence. The results provide substantial support for theories of Economic-Elite Domination and for theories of Biased Pluralism, but not for theories of Majoritarian Electoral Democracy or Majoritarian Pluralism.The preferences of economic elites have far more independent economic impact upon policy change than the preferences of average citizens do."
Translation: Unless people are mobilized into movements of strong and sustained collective action, rich people have undue control over the political system, i.e. "oligarchy"
Oiligarchy at work in Missouri
Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity: http://americansforprosperity.org/missouri/
Peabody's new public influence organization: https://www.advancedenergyforlife.com
Do your own research on industry lobbying and political campaign finance:
www.opensecrets.org
Organizations focused on oligarchic corruption:
International Forum on Globalization
Menotti, Victor, ed. 2011. Outing the Oligarchy: Billionaires who Benefit from Today's Climate Crisis. On oligarchic power structures in Mexico, India, China, and the US.
Koch Cash "tracking the single largest source of private money corrupting democracy"
Plutonomy and Climate Program " Increasingly few, stupendously wealthy plutocrats have lately made enormous strides toward dominating global governance, finance and national democracies, while actively undermining traditional democratic expressions, such as collective bargaining rights, clean air protections, and services for social safety nets"
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