American democracy is threatened by technocracy and oligarchy. Who are the American oligarchs and how much power do they have? How do billionaire business and technology leaders influence government policies? Get insight into how the richest individuals and industries have been able to control governments through campaign contributions, lobbying, and corrupt self-dealing. We'll also explore how tech and media oligarchs wield unprecedented powers through AI, data surveillance, and social media in the "information age."

Presenter: Sanford Catz is a retired aerospace engineering manager from Lockheed Martin and an experienced lifelong learning instructor. He is an organizer and discussion group leader with the Greater Philadelphia Thinking Society and teaches multidisciplinary courses in science and the humanities through OLLI. He holds a Master of Engineering in Engineering Sciences from Pennsylvania State University and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University.