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.