An oligarchy is a form of government in which a few individuals rule.
Today, it usually takes the form either of military rule, like in the developing
nations of Africa, Asia and Latin America, or of a ruling group as is the case
with the Communist Parties of some countries in Europe and Asia, the Soviet
Union including.
A dictatorship is a government in which one person has nearly total pow-
er to make and enforce laws. Typically, dictators seize power by force and are
usually bitterly hated by the population over whom they rule with an iron hand.
Frequently, dictatorships develop such overwhelming control over
people's lives that they are called totalitarian.
