Aristocracy describes a class of elites, not a form of government. The proper term is "oligarchy," which is rule by a small number of an elite. Congress has rendered itself impotent by allowing the Executive to legislate by executive orders and direction to cabinet agencies to regulate beyond their legal authority. The judiciary has been converted to a rubber stamp for the Executive by Congress conceding the appointment of activist justices at lower Federal courts, including appeals courts. The only element with some degree of independence is the SCOTUS, and that will be neutered with a Clinton Presidency.

Silver lining: the Bush dynasty is likely finished as a force to be reckoned with in the Republican Party. A fair percentage of the Republican elite will probably migrate to the Democrats. Of course, a new aristocracy may form around Trump.

That "better educated" bit gave old dino an unpalatable rub, too, until you "in today's terms" interpreted in a way I was beginning to think it through.
For it came to pass that within a fortnight past at the time of the Harvest Moon that Olduglycarl sayeth unto old dino that great minds think alike.
Time out while old dino momentarily feels like the guy in the link does all the time while my great mind goes "Ummmmmmmmm!"

https://www.google.com/search?q=obama...

As long as we have a Congress with no term limits, we'll have a political aristocracy class. Recently, we saw this with the Bush family. Jeb Bush went from anybody but Hillary in the primaries to the family going to "I'm with her". While I understand Jeb got a spanking by Trump and Senior Bush is acting like most protective parents of their children would, it is also evident that loyalty to the political aristocracy played an important part. This also happened within the Republican party too.

Agreed - in the terms of "those" days...However, in today's world, I take issue with: "Better Educated"...you mean, in today's terms...compartmentalized Bull Crap. lies, deceptions, misconceptions and progressively revised history...seems the delite ruleless class is dumber than the rocks in my yard.

I had a certain amount of respect for the Bush clan until they "adopted" the Clintons into their extended family. The only possible conclusion is they are as corrupt a part of the mafia as the Clintons. There is only one mob with several families competing to rape the country.

America is today a kakistrocracy, rule by the most incompetent and corrupt.

Was Orwell a prophet or a satirist? Perhaps both.
Rand was a prophet, and I'd bet she'd hate it.

SO.....
Same as it ever was.

Re: "Only 19 percent of Americans say they trust the government most of the time, down from 73 percent in 1958 according to the Pew Research Center." I consider that an improvement. The government may not have been quite as corrupt in 1958, but it was able to hide the corruption much more easily and take advantage of the public's naive trust in its institutions. The careers of Lyndon Johnson, J. Edgar Hoover and their ilk would not be possible in today's America. And if the Clintons had been political players in that era, most of their scandals would probably have never come to light.

The is a hint of "Animal Farm" in todays politics. there is more than a hint of "1984" with the way history is getting re-written by both parties and one candidate in particular.

Don't you get a kind of "Animal Farm" vibe? That the rebellion becomes the masters and the cycle continues endlessly? Even the voice of sanity gets smothered in the overwhelming acceptance of corruption.

Take a look at the political establishment currently ruling the United States. How far back do they go into the political past of our nation? The Bush's, the Kennedys the Clintons. Look at the idea's and governing policies of this political class.
Most stated with a true desire to serve the public. It soon morphed into a pattern of self-service and aggrandizement.
The Washington political calss (Republican and Democrat) have more in common with each other than they do with the voting masses. Take the reaction to Mr. Trump. He received more votes in the primary season than anyone before him. The establishment is still trying to stop him from becoming President. The establishment had a favorite set of candidates and will stop at nothing to get one of them elected.
Trump and Bernie represent uncontrolled persons and needed to be stopped. The democrats succeeded in stopping Bernie, the Republicans failed to stop Trump. The Republican establishment is not seeking to stop him from being elected with their non-support support.. They would like nothing better than to see Mr. Trump beaten by 10 to 20 points in the election.
This would allow them to return to the business as usual in Washington with the "I told you so" smugness of the entitled.