Question

An oligarchy is a government in which a small group of people rule. This is a broad term that can describe many kinds of governments. These include plutocracy, “rule by wealthy,” and military junta, “rule by military leaders.” South Africa was an oligarchy until it became a democracy in 1994. In the South African oligarchy, white people completely controlled the government though they were only 20% of the population. George Orwell's book 1984 features a fictional example of an oligarchy. Based on the passage, why was South Africa considered an oligarchy until 1994? A because South Africa was ruled by military leaders B because South Africa was described in George Orwell’s book 1984 C because many different kinds of people made up the government D because a relatively small part of the population controlled the government

Answer 1

As Option D states, South Africa was considered an oligarchy until 1994 because a relatively small part of the population controlled the government. In the South African oligarchy, the government was exclusively controlled by the white minority, who constituted only 20% of the population. This control by a small group over the majority aligns with the definition of an oligarchy, where a small group of individuals hold significant power and governance over the larger population.