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Question

Difficulty: MediumMonarchy, Aristocracy, and Oligarchy

Which form of government is characterized by supreme political authority being exercised by a privileged, noble, and landed minority class whose status and privilege are typically inherited?

  1. AristocracyAnswer
  2. B
    Oligarchy
  3. C
    Monarchy
  4. D
    Gerontocracy

Answer

Aristocracy is the system of government where power is vested in a noble, privileged, and landed minority class.
Aristocracy literally translates to rule by the best and refers to governance by a hereditary, titled nobility class holding substantial landed property and social privilege.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the structural characteristic described in the question stem.
The stem specifies governance by a privileged, noble, and landed minority class with hereditary titles.
Identifying the ruling group's composition distinguishes classical forms of government.
2
Differentiate aristocracy from other minority-rule political systems.
While oligarchy means rule by a small group, aristocracy specifically denotes rule by the highest social noble class.
Classical political theory separates governance by nobility (aristocracy) from governance by wealth or small factions (oligarchy).

Key Concept

Features of Aristocracy, Monarchy, and Oligarchy
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Topics

Monarchy, Aristocracy, and Oligarchy

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