Oligarchy (Civ6)

BREAKING NEWS USER ZERO ONE HAS BEEN PROVEN GUILTY OF COMMITING THE FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL MURDERS. HE IS NOW UNDER DETENTION OF THE MIAMI COUNTY JAIL AND IS GOING TO BE UNDER TRIAL AND SENTANCED TO THE DEATH PENALTY BY ELECTRIC CHAIR. AS OF RIGHT NOW HE IS NO LONGER ABLE TO EDIT THE WIKIA. ZERO ONE’s REAL NAME IS NIKOLAS CRUZ AND HAS PLEAD GUILTY TO 17 COUNTS OF MURDER, PEOPLE ACROSS THE WORLD INCLUDING DONALD TRUMP HAVE CALLED HIM A COLD BLOODED MURDER. USER: ZEROONE TOLD THE MEDIA, I HATE BLACK PEOPLE AND I HATE PEOPLE OF COLOR. I WISH TO KILL ANY PERSON WHO IS BLACK AND DOES NOT HAVE ANY TRACE OF WHITE BLOOD. HELP ME SPONSOR BY KILLING ALL BLACKS AND JOINING KKK. USER MYTHRIL WYRM IS ALSO UNDER PRISON FOR DOING SUTHERLAND SPRINGS. MYTHRIL WYRM NAMED DEVAN SAYS HE WISHES ALL CHRISTAINS AND PEOPLE OF RELIGION ARE REMOVED FROM SOCIETY, MYTHRIL WYRM IS INTEROGATED IN GUANTANAMO BAY PRISON IN CUBA AND IS FACING TORTURE OF ALLEGEDLY PLANNING TO JOIN ISISStrategy

For civilizations such as Greece under Gorgo, using Oligarchy is almost a given. Other civilizations whose leader bonuses deal with combat strength, such as Tomyris' Scythia, can also make great use of Oligarchy's strength bonus if played correctly. Even America, historically known as a mid-to-late game civilization, can use this government type to launch devastating early wars with a collective total of +9 combat strength while utilizing Oligarchy's legacy bonus in record time. Note though that Oligarchy's combat bonus applies only to land melee units, so in early game, that would be just warriors and swordsmen. Overall, Oligarchy makes for an extremely well-rounded government style for the Classical era.

Civilopedia entry

Like all of civilization’s important words, the Greeks coined the term “oligarchy” to mean “ruled by the few.” Whether distinguished from the hoi polloi by family ties, religious or military prestige, personal achievements, or other attributes – Aristotle used the term to refer to rule by the rich, and Plato in The Republic argued for rule by an educated elite – the oligarchs determine what issues should be on the political agenda, debate these, and then decide “for the good of the people.” Depending on the qualifications imposed to be an oligarch, oligarchy is a fairly efficient form of government; although it does have an unfortunate tendency to become tyrannical.

Not surprisingly, the most notable oligarchies in history are found in ancient Greece – Corinth, Sparta, Thebes, in fact all the major city-states… except the democratic Athenians. However, recent works by political scholars such as the German sociologist Robert Michels argue there is an “Iron Law of Oligarchy” whereby all forms of government tend inevitably towards oligarchy. Even in representative democracies, the practical demands of governance results in the concentration of political power in a small group, in a monolithic bureaucracy, and in rigorous means to control dissention. Which may be a good thing, as the historian Spencer Weart claims that oligarchies rarely make war on each other.