Democracy: rule of the people.
Oligarchy: rule of the few.
Aristocracy: rule of the excellent (or best).
Monarchy: rule of one.
Anarchy: without ruler.

The US is definitely not an anarchy, it is not a monarchy, nor is it an aristocracy.

I would argue that the United States, and most current “democracies”, are in fact oligarchies. Electing officials does not make a democracy, it is the rule of the people that makes a democracy. When you hand over that rule to a representative, as is the case when you elect legislators, you are in fact moving from “rule of the people” to “rule of the few”.

Before someone mentions that we “democratically” elect our representatives, this is not true either. Representatives are elected by the few, those in their districts or states. The senators of NY and FL are not elected by the people at large, even though their laws affect the people at large. There are, in fact, more legislators where you have no say in their election than there are where you do have a say.

One issue most have with this idea is that many associate democracy as inherently good and oligarchy as inherently bad, but simply put that is nonsense. An oligarchy can be equally good or bad as a democracy.