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Commentary

The Rise of Billionaire Rule: How Extreme Wealth Undermines American Democracy – The Invisible Woman

By Sharon Kyle, JD Editorial Board

From campaign dominance to policy control, the concentrtion of wealth among billionaires is transforming participatory democracy into a system of elite rule.

May 21, 2026 1 min read Free to read

Wealth holders experience outcomes abstractly

This is not about personal virtue. It is about structure.

When your income is derived from your labor, you are usually embedded in a community.

When your income depends on capital, you can operate outside of community.

Labor ties people to community. Extreme wealth allows people to exit community.

That separation weakens accountability and reshapes decision-making.

When Distance Becomes Governance

At extreme levels of wealth, distance doesn’t just exist—it is a factor in governing.

Decisions about:

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About the author

Sharon Kyle, JD Commentary

BlackCommentator.com Editorial Board member and Columnist, Sharon Kyle, JD, is a formerpresident of the Guild Law School and is the publisher and co-founder of the LA Progressive. For years before immersing herself in the law and social justice, Ms. Kyle was a member of several space flight teams at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory where she managed resources for projects like Magellan, Genesis, and Mars Pathfinder. Sharon sits onseveral boards including the Board of Directors of the ACLU. She is a contributing writer to Black Politics Today. Follow @SharonKyle00. Contact the LA Progressive, Ms. Kyle and BC.

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