Anthro Chapter 13: Political Systems

kingdom

a centralized political organization with the king as the paramount leader

confederacy

a form of political organization in which tribes and bands join together under common leadership to face an external threat

age grade (age set)

a sociopolitical association of people of more or less similar age who are given specific social functions

primogeniture

a system in inheritance of leadership in which the eldest child (usually the eldest son) automatically inherits the position of leadership for his or her parent

authority

ability to affect the activities and decisions me of others based not only on one's personal characteristics but also because of ones social role

influence

ability to have an effect on the activities of others and on the decisions taken by others. Influence is based on an individual's personal characteristic of intelligence, skill, oratory, and charisma

terrorism

act of violence of perpetrated by private citizens groups within their own country or against a foreign country without the cover and sanction of a state-declared

states

highly organized, centralized political systems with a hierarchical structure of authority

social control

informal and formal mechanisms in society through which people's actions are controlled and social norms or laws are enforced

bands

small, loosely organized groups of people held together by informal means

theocracies

societies ruled by religious leaders, in which the social order is upheld through beliefs in its divine origin and sanction

tribes

societies with some degree of formalization of structure and leadership, including village and inter village councils whose members regularly meet to settle disputes and plan community activities

associations

sociopolitical groups that link people in a community on that basis of shared interests and skills

republics

state societies with elected rather than inherited leadership

empires

states expanded into larger units through conquest and the occupation or annexation of new territories

chiefdoms

stratified societies organized by kinship

power

the ability to exert control over the actions of other people and to make decisions that affect them

political anthropology

the study of the ways that communities plan group actions, make decisions affecting the group, select leadership, and resolve conflicts and disputes both within the group and with other groups

factionalism

the tendency for groups to split into opposing parties over political issues, often a cause of violence and a threat to political unity

political organization

the ways in which societies are organized to plan group activities, make decisions affecting members of the group, select leadership, and settle disputes both within the group and with other groups