GRE Vocabulary Builder

Answer: Choice (A) is correct.

Consider the first half of the analogy. A gerontocracy is a government run by the older members of a society. This is common in communist countries, where power is gained relative to the amount of time spent in service to the government. So, look for the choice in which the second word identifies the person or persons who hold the power in the form of government listed in the first word. In choice (B), an oligarchy refers to a government run by a few, not by the wealthy, so eliminate that choice. In choice (C), a plutocracy refers to a government run by the wealthy, not by a single ethnic group, so eliminate that choice. In choice (D), a demarchy is a government that is run by people who are selected randomly, in a lottery-style system. A despot, or tyrant, would not be in power in a demarchy. The only choice that matches is choice (A). A timocracy is a government in which the power is held by people who own land.