What is a Kleptocracy?

Answer 1

I really appreciate all the thoughtful responses to this question...however, in this case, I will have to let Occam's Razor guide my response...a Kleptocracy is...what you have when Republicans are in control!

Answer 2

Kleptocracy (sometimes Cleptocracy) (root: Klepto+cracy = rule by thieves) is a pejorative, informal term for a government that is corrupt in its management of public funds in the sense that its mangement is designed to primarily sustain the personal wealth and political power of government officials and their cronies (collectively, kleptocrats).

Kleptocracies are often dictatorships or some other form of autocratic government, since democracy makes outright thievery for direct personal gain more difficult to sustain in the long term and still remain in power.

Kleptocratic governance means that the economy is subordinated to the interests of the kleptocrats. Distributive states that derive their wealth from the extraction of natural resources (e.g. diamonds and oil in a few prominent cases) can be particularly prone to kleptocracy. Redistristributive economies that derive their wealth through taxation have a natural limitation on how far they can extend the kleptocratic policies on their population without destabilizing their government through extending their grab to their own supporters or driving the income producers away from the country or making them withdraw their labor or capital. When redistributive economies do exhibit kleptoctatic tendencies, they do so through using taxes collected from the general public to curry favor with the government's supporters and particularly the armed forces.

The creation of a kleptocracy powered by dictatorship typically results in many years of general hardship and suffering for the vast majority of citizens as civil society and the rule of law distintegrate. In addition, kleptocrats routinely ignore economic and social problems in their quest to amass ever more wealth and power.

Some observers use the term 'kleptocracy' to disparage political processes which permit corporations to influence political policy. Ralph Nader called the United States a kleptocracy in this sense of the word during the 2000 presidential campaign. A more accurate term for this influence over a state is plutocracy.

Answer 3

Kleptomania, is an irresistable tendency to stealing, although not motivated by the person's need.

Kleptocracy therefore, refer to any class of fat-cats (like in Enron), or group, who rip off.

Peace,
Gondarite

Answer 4

Kleptocracy = U.S.A.

Answer 5

From the Greek Kleptos and Cratias (steal and govern, more or less). Draw your own conclusions...

Answer 6

usually dictatorships...where there is so much corruption, and unequal apportionment. Usually the kleptocratic government institutes economic policies that make them rich....and that is usually their only concern.

Answer 7

A government characterized by rampant greed and corruption.