A system of government by few privilege and powerful people is called

1. Analyze the question The question asks for the term for a system of government controlled by a few privileged and powerful people. The key word is "few."

2. Explain the concept The word comes from Greek: oligos = "few" and archein = "to rule." So the answer should mean "rule by the few." Such a ruling group may be powerful because of wealth, military control, family ties, or social status.

3. Go through the options

• A. Communism: an economic and political ideology where property is communally owned and there are no social classes. It is not defined as rule by a few privileged people.
• B. Democracy: rule by the people, either directly or through elected representatives. This is the opposite of rule by a few.
• C. Oligarchy: rule by a small, privileged and powerful group. This matches the question exactly.
• D. Socialism: an ideology in which the means of production are owned or regulated by the state or community for the common good. It is not defined by the number of rulers.
• E. Totalitarianism: a system in which the state controls every aspect of public and private life, usually under one party or one leader. The focus is on total control, not on rule by a few privileged people.

4. Answer The correct answer is **C.

5. Exam tip Link the prefix to the number of rulers:

• Monoarchy / Autocracy = one ruler
• Oligarchy = a few rulers ("olig" sounds like "a little")
• Democracy = the people (many)

When you see "few" in a Government question, think oligarchy.