Why do human societies develop political organizations? Perhaps it seems that the politics seen in U.S. society always
pits the “insiders” against the “outsiders.” In other words, a quest for power. But what is done with that power?
Political organizations can be a way that people effect social change: grass roots movements, political action committees,
support for “reform” ticket candidates in local elections, and so on. However, what about those parts of society that no
one particularly wants changed? What keeps them stable?
The political organization in a society helps ensure that certain behaviors will provide for the common good, whatever the
common good is perceived to be. Perhaps an example of “common good” is simply a hunting-gathering society moving
its camp. It may be raising an army to deter or repel invaders. It may be the building or maintenance of a particular
institution. Actually, even the simplest society ahs a number of concerns that fall under the heading of common good, and
anthropologists are sometimes fascinated in discovering the mechanisms that reinforce the common good. It is intriguing
to discover where the power resides, who supports those with power, how leaders are chosen, and how the power of leader
is limited.
For all of their differences, basic similarities are found in the political organization of all societies. Political systems have
leaders with special names or titles. These systems provide the mechanisms by which societies maintain internal social
order, cope with public affairs, and manage relations with external groups, whether they are other political organizations
or other societies. All political systems employ some method of social control, which may be as subtle as gossip or as
overt as physical force.
Political organizations take one of four general forms, distinguished by their complexity: bands, tribes, chiefdoms, and
states. In general, a more complex society gives rise to a more complex form of political organization, which may or may
not include a government. The relationship between a society’s patterns of subsistence, stratification, and economics and
its political systems is further evidence of how cultures are integrated and how each featured of a culture complements
and supports many of its other facets. Thus, family organizations, social organizations, economic systems, and political
organizations tend to be mutually supportive.
This four-part model of political organization has been the subject of much discussion among anthropologists in recent
years, since it refers to homogenous societies that, in the wake of colonialism, have come under the jurisdiction of larger
political entities anthropologists call “nation-states.” The United States is a nation-state, as are the countries of Europe
and the rapidly emerging governments of Africa, such as Zaire and Namibia. In fact, all the countries that make up that
international organization, the Untied Nations, are nation-states.
A number of groups anthropologists traditionally described as “tribal” now express a preference for being called
“nations,” so that one can refer to the “Hopi nation” or the “Sioux nation.” This use of the term “nation” should not be
confused with the popular usage of the term, which designates countries or nation-states. The use of the term “nation” in
the name “United Nations” conforms to popular usage.
Video Program:
This program examines the four major forms of political organization: bands, tribes, chiefdoms, and states. The oldest
and simplest form of political organization, the band, is illustrated with footage of the nomadic Ju/’hoansi (!Kung) of
southwestern Africa, who group together in small bands in their search for food. Tribal rule is depicted by the Mendi of
New Guinea, whose economic and political activities are organized around clans, usually under the leadership of “Big
Men” who have some authority based on their skills at collection and giving away wealth to form alliances. Even more
complex in political organization are chiefdoms, such as that of the Kpelle of Liberia. Their centralized government
includes a chief and leaders of lesser rank, whose wealth and control are directly related to their position in the hierarch.
The final form of political organization the program coves is the state, a political organization with centralized power
based on legitimacy, a formal code of law, and the authority to enforce that law. The theocratic government of Tibet, in
exile in India, exemplifies the concept of the state.
As you view the program, look for:
 How a Mendi “Big Man” gains his influence
 The population size and political structure of the ?Kung band and the role of the headman
 The power of the paramount chief of the Kpelle of Liberia
 Different attitudes about the source of government legitimacy in the United States and Tibet.