1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

Reports suggest that working-class frustration with what is perceived as oligarchy, or rule by a wealthy elite, is a rising concern both in the US and globally. This widespread discontent is rooted in decades of growing wealth inequality, stagnant wages, rising costs of living, and a sense that the political and economic systems are rigged in favor of corporations and the ultra-rich. Evidence of growing working-class discontent Persistent financial insecurity: A June 2025 YouTube report highlighted that many Americans are struggling to afford basic needs, with a large majority feeling their income is not keeping up with inflation. Many need to work multiple jobs to survive. A March 2025 report from the Center for American Progress noted that workers without a college degree earn significantly less than their college-educated counterparts, further deepening economic divides. Political disenfranchisement: A January 2025 op-ed from Our Revolution discussed the rising American oligarchy, arguing that Democrats were failing to break from corporate influences despite working-class calls to reject corporate power. A July 2025 Oxfam report described how the concentration of wealth leads to the concentration of power, allowing the ultra-rich to tighten their control over government and the economy. A February 2025 Harvard Kennedy School report analyzed how the US is being "forced to confront its plutocracy" as the influence of ordinary citizens wanes. Stagnant wages and declining power: The Institute for New Economic Thinking noted in a January 2025 blog post that "finance capitalism" controls vast pools of assets with little input from workers, even when their retirement savings are involved. Corporate greed and rising costs: A 2024 Reddit post on the r/FluentInFinance subreddit highlighted that despite companies achieving "record-breaking profits," they remain reluctant to provide livable wages for workers, intensifying the strain from the rising cost of living.