Signs of the times.

  A new analysis by the Institute for Policy Studies points to the harms of rising consolidated wealth, and ways to make the rich shoulder their fair share of the tax burden. By Anisha Kohli , July 6, 2021  The view north to Rockefeller Center, Billionaires’ Row, Central Park, and One Vanderbilt as seen from the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building on December 15, 2020, in New York City. An analysis of the 50 richest families in the U.S. highlights tactics used to guard growing “dynastic wealth” in the country, and points to ideas for curbing and effectively taxing consolidated wealth. The Institute for Policy Studies tracked American families from Forbes’ list across nearly four decades and found that their assets grew by 1007% since 1983, outpacing the average American’s by a factor of 10. The list of American “dynasties” includes household names such as the S.C. Johnson, Rockefeller and Marriott families. IPS, a think tank focused on foreign and domestic policy, h...

oligarchy noun plural oligarchies Synonyms of oligarchy : government by the few The corporation is ruled by oligarchy . : a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes a military oligarchy was established in the country : a group exercising such control An oligarchy ruled the nation. : an organization under oligarchic control That country is an oligarchy . Oligarchy  is one of numerous English words for a type of rule or government. Some of these words, such as  plutocracy , have an exceedingly similar meaning (both may be used to refer to rule by an economic elite, but  oligarchy  often has the additional connotation of corruption). Besides these two, we have  meritocracy  “a system in which the talented are chosen and moved ahead on the basis of their achievement,”  monarchy  “a form of government in which a country is ruled by a king or queen,”  ochlocracy  “governm...