# How long can a plutonomy last? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 1, 2011, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-plutonomy-last/569826 "2011-02-01T21:27:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Le\_Jacquelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Le\_Jacquelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Jacquelope)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-plutonomy-last/569826/1 "2011-02-01T21:27:56Z")
> **[Plutonomy: What It Is, How It Works, Requirements](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/plutonomy.asp)** > > Plutonomy refers to a society where the wealth is controlled by a select few and where economic growth becomes dependent on that same wealthy minority. > [@](#): > > **What Does Plutonomy Mean?** > Economic growth that is powered and consumed by the wealthiest upper class of society. Plutonomy refers to a society where the majority of the wealth is controlled by an ever-shrinking minority; as such, the economic growth of that society becomes dependent on the fortunes of that same wealthy minority. This word was actually invented not by liberals like me, but by analysts at Citigroup, in 2005. Mexico has been a plutonomy since… well since God knows when. Decades, at least. Is this proof that workers can be permanently dis-empowered? According to Citigroup at least 2 of the G-7 are becoming plutonomies, and history is showing that those affected are making few moves to stop it. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-plutonomy-last/569826/2 "2011-02-01T21:50:02Z")
How is that different from a plutocracy ? Which is what America is, and what Ancient Rome was, and which Great Britain has been the last 300 years. [It’s different in kind from an aristocracy, however wealthy, since solely money, not birth nor breeding, is the determinant. Both of which oligarchies being opposed to a monarchy or a democracy.] ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-plutonomy-last/569826/3 "2011-02-01T22:02:39Z")
It’s all Neil deGrasse Tyson’s fault! Oops, I thought you meant a “Plutectomy” ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-plutonomy-last/569826/4 "2011-02-01T22:08:05Z")
The answer is obviously till Pluterday. 😃 (From a book called, [Where Were You Last Pluterday](http://www.amazon.com/Where-Were-You-Last-Pluterday/dp/0879970510) where rich people get an extra day a week to do what they want…been ages since I thought of that book…oldie but a goodie.) ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Jacquelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Le\_Jacquelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Jacquelope)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-plutonomy-last/569826/5 "2011-02-01T22:11:37Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > How is that different from a plutocracy ? Which is what America is, and what Ancient Rome was, and which Great Britain has been the last 300 years. > [It’s different in kind from an aristocracy, however wealthy, since solely money, not birth nor breeding, is the determinant. Both of which oligarchies being opposed to a monarchy or a democracy.] There is little practical difference. Plutocracy is political rule by the wealthy. A plutonomy is an economy that depends largely on the wealthy to keep it running. I’m thinking a plutocracy leads to a plutonomy, but it could be the reverse. We’re past the point of a plutocracy, what with rich lobbyists routinely overruling the opinions and desires of the majority of people. We’re moving into a plutonomy, where the rich are the ones doing larger percentages of the spending - because everyone else is getting poorer. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-plutonomy-last/569826/6 "2011-02-01T22:14:14Z")
76 years. Then it gets demoted to dwarfigarchy. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-plutonomy-last/569826/7 "2011-02-01T22:20:32Z")
7500 years+ ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-plutonomy-last/569826/8 "2011-02-01T22:30:53Z")
“At least 2 of the G7 are becoming plutonomies”. I’ll take what are weasel words? for 2,000, Alex. A cite would be nice, though. Plutonomy! Right here in River City. That’s Plut with a capital P and that follows O and that stands for… Outsourcing!! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-plutonomy-last/569826/9 "2011-02-02T04:05:43Z")
Isn’t feudalism a form of plutonomy? If so, they lasted quite a while. It depends on how you define plutocrats. In this economy 2 types of sales are picking up, dirt cheap sales and high end luxury sales. Stores like dollar tree and dollar general are selling more, and so are high end retailers like Tiffany or Saks. But I don’t know if a Plutonomy involves the top 10%, 5%, 1%, 0.01% or what exactly. If you consider the top 10% or 5% a plutonomy then it can probably last a long time. But with health care alone being 18% of GDP, you can’t have all of it go to the wealthiest minority. Same with education (nearly 10% of GDP). Auto sales are 3-4%, etc. So I don’t know. The wealthy aren’t going to spend 7-10 trillion a year on consumer spending, I don’t think. Several things in our economy need a consumer class outside the plutonomy.