The Non-Scandal of American Oligarchy

Over the last decade, the term "oligarchy" has emerged in scholarly and popular commentary as a name for the United States' political regime. Although this claim is meant to mobilize its addressees, I argue that it neglects the broader neoliberal social settlement within which wealth-based domination occurs. Drawing on Gram-scian political theory and analyses of neoliberal culture, I show that today's hegemonic configuration includes a distinctive form of common sense which minimizes the degree to which "rule by the rich" can register as a scandal. The universalization of market values helps validate inequality and erodes the distinction between economy and polity—twin developments that dampen the critical charge the "oligarchy" label tries to carry.