(Wikimedia Commons)

An oligarchy is a form of government controlled by a small number of well-connected, wealthy individuals.

The researches analyzed data from about 1,800 policy initiatives from 1981-2012. They found that among three groups: Americans representing the 50th percentile of income, Americans in the 90th percentile and major lobbying groups, the government acted in the best interests of the last two more often.

They also discovered that as of September 2013, the top one percent of earners brought in 95 percent of all raises of income since the Great Depression. The remaining 99 percent experienced a net 12 percent dive to their income.

These findings indicate that America has been undergoing this transition for about 70 years, and is not a result of any one decision. But the failure of Congress to act on certain initiatives, such as mandatory background checks on gun sales that over half of Americans support, is an indication of our new political climate.

Reach Executive Producer Anne Artley here