VCR Lesson 3 Presentation
Harika Jampani
Sentence
The ancient Greeks sometimes used an ________________ as their form of government with many philosophers along with other forms such as democracy or a monarchy.
Oligarchy
n. government by the few, especially a faction of persons or families
few people in a dominant class ( popular and rich )
- sometimes dominating in nature
- no input of the people like a democracy
Roots:
- oligos- few
- arkhein- to begin , to be first
- arkhos- ruler, first in rank
Noun -
- oligarch - ruler in an oligarchy
- oligarchic - describing something as being ruled by a few
- Greek
- Medieval Latin
Synonyms
- authoritarianism
- domination
- despotism (more of a dictatorship but can apply to oligarchies)
Antonyms
- democracy
- monarchy
- dictatorship
Practice
Choose the letter in which the bold-faced type is used incorrectly
A) The small town had a strict oligarchy where Martha was their supreme ruler.
B) Aristotle was an oligarch in the Greeks government along with other philosophers.
C) The island's oligarchic efforts for government were failed attempts because the few leaders would not cooperate with each other.
D) Some people think oligarchies are much like dictatorships because the people have no say in their government and rulers take over things.
Correct Answer
A is wrong because it describes a dictatorship rather than a few people ruling