Government by the few

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Even when the divine right of the kings or sultans were an acceptable formula for legitimating royal authority, it was nevertheless true that the monarch depended on the support of a loyal cadre of advisers and bureaucrats to carry out his policies.

It was the gradual evolution and institutionalization of the roles of advisers and civil servants that, in France and elsewhere, led to the establishment of the parliament (advisers) and the state's administrative apparatus (civil servants). An awareness of these historical trends, along with the conviction that democratic institutions are an illusion that conceals the political domination of a minority, has convinced some 20th century political scientists that government everywhere and always has been the affair of a few - neither one nor the many.

In this context, aristocracy means government by an elite of the society that has high social status, wealth, fame and political power. These advantages are passed down from one generation of aristocracy to another. Status, power, fame and wealth are inherited. We may also say that in aristocratic societies, status is allowed according to "ascriptive" rather than "achievement" norms: Your place in society is determined by who you are or who your parents are rather than by what you do. Who you are is indicated by your styles of speech, dress and comportment; your family background; where you were educated and your ability to live a comfortable life without having to work for it.

No wonder that workers, peasants and intellectuals in most societies have registered such a low regard for aristocrats and the aristocratic institutions.Where an aristocratic class is politically dominant is also where invariably, monarchical institutions will be found. In England in 1820 for instance, the monarchy was still a politically significant institution, the upper house (House of Lords) exercised major influence in the legislative process and fewer than 500 citizens most of them peers in the House of Lords were able to elect a majority of members to the House of Commons.

Even after the passage of the Reform Bill of 1832, the suffrage did not extend to more than 12 percent of all adult males in England. But after the Reform Bill of 1867, 30 percent of all adult males were enfranchised and it may be said that at this point in time, the politics of Great Britain were controlled less by an aristocracy than by an oligarchy.

Oligarchy means a government by a minority of the society, a minority that is not necessarily distinguished by aristocratic title or privilege. But in the middle of 19th century, Great Britain also could have been described as plutocracy, which means rule by a few who are wealthy.

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