Aristocracy (Greek ἀριστοκρατία "aristokratía", from ἄριστος "" "excellent", and κράτος "" "power") is a form of government that places power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class. The term derives from the Greek "aristokratia", meaning "rule of the best". 

At the time of the word's origins in ancient Greece, the Greeks conceived it as rule by the best qualified citizens—and often contrasted it favourably with monarchy, rule by an individual. In later times, aristocracy was usually seen as rule by a privileged group, the aristocratic class, and was contrasted with democracy. 

The concept evolved in Ancient Greece, whereby a council of leading citizens was commonly empowered and contrasted with representative democracy, in which a council of citizens was appointed as the "senate" of a city state or other political unit. The Greeks did not like the concept of monarchy, and as their democratic system fell, aristocracy was upheld. 

In Ancient Rome, the Republic consisted of an aristocracy—as well as consuls, a senate, and a tribal assembly. In the Middle Ages and early modern era, aristocracies primarily consisted of an influential aristocratic class, privileged by birth, and often by wealth, land and property. Since the French Revolution, aristocracy has generally been contrasted with democracy, in which all citizens should hold some form of political power. However, this distinction is often oversimplified.

What are the answers to this following set of questions:

1. Where did the word aristocracy begin to be used?
2. What word is it derived from?
3. Which means?
4. Who is in charge in this system?
5. During more recent times?
6. What type of government was it compared with a long time ago?
7. Did they think it was better or worse than that?
8. What is it compared with in recent times?
9. What government didn't work out in Greece?
10. And what type did they not want?
11. Who ruled in this system in Greece?
12. Who did in an aristocracy?
13. Were they elected?
14. Did it become a rich class in later years?
15. How was membership decided after the middle ages?
16. What other privileges did they have besides money?
17. Did another civilization have an aristocracy?
18. How many other things besides it were a part of their government?
19. What do the two Greek words that aristocracy is derived from mean?
20. In modern usage, do all people have a political voice in the system?

Numbered answers:
1. ancient Greece
2. "aristokratia
3. "rule of the best"
4. the best qualified citizens
5. a privileged group
6. monarchy,
7. Better
8. democracy.
9. democratic
10. monarchy
11. an individual
12. a council
13. No
14. yes
15. by birth
16. wealth, land and property.
17. yes
18. Three
19. excellent", and "power"
20. no