Plutonomy

Plutonomy, a term that combines, "plutocracy" and "economy,"  refers to an economy in which growth is confined to people at the very top of the wealth pyramid. The term was coined by hip investment and marketing advisers to characterize the U.S. economy. That they use it not out of alarm or moral outrage over extreme injustice, but rather as a guide to framing profitable investment and marketing strategies, is one of the many indicators of the moral corruption of the system.

      Plutonomy stands at the opposite end of the continuum from economic democracy, a system in which every person has an ownership stake in the means of production on which their livelihood depends. Economic democracy is an essential foundation of political democracy. Plutonomy and political democracy are mutually exclusive, as current U.S. experience demonstrates so clearly.

References:

• I first encountered the term in a Multinational Monitor story.
• See wordspy.com for definition, usage, and origin.
• The Wall Street Journal features a regular series of articles on the U.S. plutonomy by Robert Frank, its wealth reporter.