Recognizing Oligarchic Structures of Power: A Comparison of the United States and South Korea

Abstract

In the United States we live under the common misconception that power is equally shared amongst citizens thanks to the democratic system that guides our political processes. In reality, this could not be farther from the truth: power is not equally shared among citizens, but is in fact concentrated among an oligarchic network of corporate executives. By comparing the patterns of power concentration in the United States to a well-known oligarchy, South Korea, I will show how Industrial policy and ideals have effectively enabled these patterns to form.