Socrates defines oligarchy as "A political system which is based on property value, so that the rich have political power, and the poor are excluded from government.'" (286)
The person running an oligarchy would be obsessive about money. He will also be "thrifty and hard-working." Being an opportunist, he would try to "make a profit out of every situation, and he's a hoarder -- an attribute which is commonly admired in people." (291) Money is important but education would not mean much to him. Such a person would be marred by internal conflict. "he isn't single, he's divided into two. His condition is simply that his better desires by and large control his worse ones." (292) While some of the governments in the world proclaim democracy, there are actually oligarchies. Pakistan would be one such country where traditionally only the wealthy have ruled the nation. This is also true for Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
Once conflicts arise in oligarchy, it will lead to democracy. But Socrates doesn't look at democracy favorably. This system emerges when oligarchy starts disintegrating and there is a revolution. People ask for a system where anybody can rule and not just the wealthy ones. This is a free for all system but like other system discussed above, a democracy has its own share of inherent flaws. The fact that anybody can rule makes it what weakens this system since anyone without merit or aptitude can rule an entire nation. This system lack discipline and the person who runs such a system is also similarly undisciplined.
Socrates explains that democracy comes into being when people realize that their own lack of courage is allowing inept people to rule. The revolution begins in the mind as "Poor...
Don't you think they'll conclude that it's their own cowardice that has allowed the rich to get rich" (295)
The word then spreads out from one person to another. They talk to each other about their lack of courage and the ineffectiveness of the government. This leads to internal revolution and demand for an elected government increases. When democracy is established, it gives rise to a community, which is characterized by "independence and freedom of speech" where "everyone has the right to do as he chooses." (295) but democracy suffers from the very premise on which it is based. Since it is a popular government system. Aptitude and merit do not count and the system "doesn't care what kinds of provenance people had before coming to government; as long as someone claims to be sympathetic to the general populace, he is honored within this political system.'" (297) America is a good example of such type of government. This is where everyone is allowed to do what he pleases and as long as a person can convince the public of his ideals and aptitude, he can run the country. Usually such a government would disintegrate to pave way for dictatorship where one man rules the entire nation with iron hands and with tyrannical methods. Military prowess is valued and no one is given any autonomy or freedom. Many countries in the world fell to dictatorship in history and Cuba is one country where it is still alive.
Reference
Plato, Republic, trans. Robin Waterfield (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994)
