What form of government is described as power held by a small group?

• A. Theocracy
• B. Democracy
• C. Oligarchy
• D. Monarchy

Answer: (C)

Power held by a small group describes an oligarchy. In an oligarchy, a few people—often from a specific class, family, or elite group—dominate political decisions, shaping laws and policies while the broader population has limited influence. This concentrates power and tends to benefit the interests of that small group rather than the general public.

This differs from a theocracy, where religious leaders or institutions hold authority; from a democracy, where power rests with the people or their elected representatives; and from a monarchy, where a single ruler governs, usually based on hereditary succession. Since the key idea here is governance by a limited number of people, oligarchy is the best fit.