an oligarchy is a government ruled by a small group of powerful people. these people may spread power equally or not equally. more so a different version of a monarchy, where everyone makes decisions together instead of one person making them all or telling people what to do, such as in a dictatorship. an oligarchy is different from a true democracy because very few people are given the chance to change things. an oligarchy does not have to be hereditary or passed down from father to son. an oligarchy does not have one clear ruler, but several powerful people. some past examples of oligarchy are the former union of soviet socialist republics and apartheid south africa. a fictional example is the dystopian society of "oceania" in the book nineteen eighty-four. some critics of representative democracy think of the united states as an oligarchy. this view is shared by anarchists. an oligarchy may have a leader in the ruling group.