ptochocracy

plural ptochocracies

1. A society or system ruled and dominated by the poor.

   1 more example

   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 the state with 30,000! ... The British government, therefore, taking it according to its avowed state, is neither absolute monarchy nor limited monarchy, nor aristocracy, nor democracy, nor a mixture of monarchy, aristocracy and democracy; by may be called a ptochocracy (the reader will pardon a new word) or government of beggars. For a few beggarly boroughs [that is, economocally deprived; many of their voters receiving alms and therefore being influenced by those on whom they depend] do avowedly elect the most important part of the government, the part which commands the purse.

   1774, James Burgh, Political Disquisition

   Antonyms: plutocracy