ptochocracy

/toʊˈkɑkɹəsi/

Etymology

From Ancient Greek πτωχός (ptōkhós, “beggar, poor”) + κράτος (krátos, “power, might”).

Why this word is great

PTOCHOCRACY — [Noun] A society or system ruled and dominated by the poor. From Ancient Greek πτωχός (ptōkhós, "beggar, poor") + κράτος (krátos, "power, might"). Unlike "plutocracy" (which enshrines the rule of the rich) or "democracy" (which theoretically balances all voices), ptochocracy is the grim triumph of scarcity—power seized not by merit or mandate, but by sheer, grinding necessity. It is the breadline forming a government, the hollow-eyed child holding a scepter, the collapsed bridge standing as monument to a kingdom with empty coffers. A world where poverty is the only qualification for rule is one already in ruins.

noun

A society or system ruled and dominated by the poor.“Here we see ... two persons, the lord of the pitiful town of Newton, in the isle of Wight, and him of Old Sarum, Wiltshire, where there is not a house, send in as many members as the inestimable wealth of the city of London, in which the livery, who are the legal electors are 8,000; and the persons who ought to have votes are probably 30,000 and upwards. Here two individuals have equal weight in t”