Political System - Anthropological Forms of Political Systems

Anthropological Forms of Political Systems

Anthropologists generally recognize four kinds of political systems, two of which are uncentralized and two of which are centralized.

  • Uncentralized systems
    • Band
      • Small kin group, no larger than an extended family or clan; it has been defined as consisting of no more than 30 to 50 individuals.
      • A band can cease to exist if only a small group walks out.
    • Tribe
      • Generally larger, consisting of many families. Tribes have more social institutions, such as a chief or elders.
      • More permanent than bands; a band can cease to exist if only a small group walks out. Many tribes are sub-divided into bands.
  • Centralized systems
    • Chiefdom
      • More complex than a tribe or a band society, and less complex than a state or a civilization
      • Characterized by pervasive inequality and centralization of authority.
      • A single lineage/family of the elite class becomes the ruling elite of the chiefdom
      • Complex chiefdoms have two or even three tiers of political hierarchy.
      • "An autonomous political unit comprising a number of villages or communities under the permanent control of a paramount chief"
    • State
      • A sovereign state is a state with a permanent population, a defined territory, a government and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states.

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