Oxfam explains what oligarchy means for the U.S. and the world.
For years, Oxfam—along with advocates and activists around the world—have argued that the extreme concentration of wealth leads to the extreme concentration of power, allowing an ultra-rich few to tighten their control over governments, economies, and media.
When power belongs to just a few, democracy suffers as extreme inequality worsens. Oligarchy isn’t created overnight—decades of policies and politics across parties in favor of giant corporations and the ultra-rich have got us here.
Americans should brace for even higher levels of inequality under this Trump administration. His administration has a blueprint that is taking us deeper into an oligarchy that threatens democracy, freedoms, and a more equal future.
What is oligarchy?
Oligarchy is about the ability of an ultra-wealthy elite to shape political decision-making in ways that increase their wealth – and power. Oligarchic power is ultimately rooted in wealth, and the influence of oligarchs is enabled by huge concentrations of it.
- Given the massive amount of wealth and power that the ultra-rich have amassed, coupled with their influence over political decision-making in the U.S., it’s only fitting to use the term for the direction that America is headed.
- The ultra-richest segments in the U.S. control a greater portion of wealth than they did during the Gilded Age. A new Oxfam analysis shows the wealth of the 10 richest U.S. billionaires increased by $365 billion in just 12 months, based on data from Forbes.
- The U.S. has contended with oligarchy in the past. In 1948, Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas argued that, “Power that controls the economy should be in the hands of elected representatives of the people, not in the hands of an industrial oligarchy”.
What does oligarchy look like in the U.S.?
For starters, let’s look at who holds power in our economy.
Industries from technology, food, and pharmaceuticals have become deeply consolidated by just a handful of corporations, in turn giving outsized power to a handful of owners and executives. In 2024, our research found that 7 out of 10 of the world’s largest corporations are owned by a billionaire or have one as a principal shareholder.
What about the electoral process? Don’t we all have equal power in that system? Not quite. We saw 150 billionaire families spend a total of $1.9 billion in support of presidential and congressional candidates in 2024.
Right now, we’re getting a view into just how the ultra-rich have bought themselves a seat—if not a couch—in the Oval Office.
Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos are a few examples of the wealthy elite who not only cozied up to President Trump to influence policy, but also benefitted under previous administrations. Trump has over a dozen billionaires in his administration—the wealthiest in history.
Trump’s blueprint for new oligarchy: three things to watch
There is so much the Trump administration is doing to fuel inequality.
- First is a massive upward redistribution of wealth from everyday people to the ultra-rich and mega-corporations. In his first term, President Trump delivered a massive tax giveaway. Now they’ve doubled down by pushing through the 2025 tax bill—a multi-trillion-dollar giveaway to the ultra-rich and the corporations they control. The top 0.1 percent get an average tax break of over $300,000, while the lowest-income households will see their taxes increase. That won’t just give the ultra-rich more wealth, but more power.
- Second is cutting away the public programs that we all rely upon and privatizing programs to give them to profit-making corporations. The 2025 tax bill throws more than 10 million people off of Medicaid, and millions of families could be left without the food assistance they need.
- Third is taking a sledgehammer to the rules and referees that protect ordinary people from excessive corporate and monopoly power. Bodies like the Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are there to hold corporations from Big Pharma to banks to account, but the Trump administration is intent on weakening their power. This is great news for already powerful monopolies–and bad news for everyone else.
"This is the price of oligarchy: a society that is sicker, hungrier, and poorer,” said Abby Maxman, CEO and president of Oxfam America.
How do we hold the ultra-rich accountable?
Oxfam is working alongside partners and allies to unrig the system so the ultra-rich few and mega-corporations are held accountable and pay their fair share.
Bold and systemic changes such as increasing taxes on the ultra-rich and corporations, strengthening labor rights, ensuring fair wages, and curbing corporate concentration are key to fighting and reversing the path towards oligarchy.
We know these are long-term struggles to win – and we must keep fighting, even as we get pushback from oligarchy. By tackling the roots of poverty and injustice, we can build a more equal future where prosperity is shared, and power is not exclusive to the hands of a few.
If we all work together, a more equal future is possible.