Bands and tribes and

chiefdoms

 Bands and tribes

Considered as the simplest
political systems
Considered as acephalous
 band

Typically formed by several families living
together based on marriage ties, common
descendants, friendships, affiliations and
members usually have a common interest or
enemy
Kinship by blood or affinity
Power is less hierarchical
status( age)
Women are gatherers while men are hunter
 band

Informal leadership (gift) and by
consensus
Leaders does not possess absolute
political power, can not compel
others but just give advice.
Decision is done by consensus
 band
Band fissioning- band splitting along family
lines 
Social velocity- those who leave the band
will form their own group.
*if a band survives band fissioning and
social velocity even if it experiences
increase in population and a shift from
foraging and hunting to a multiple
communities engaged in horticultural and
pastoral form of livelihood will become a
TRIBE
 tribe
Still an acephalous community even if it is
more complex than band because of more

elaborate way of organizing to settle conflict
to prevent society from breaking apart.
Pantribal association- council or tribal elders
Decrease in women leadership
Headed by a village headman, still don’t
have absolute power.
Egalitarian
Economically self sufficient and larger and
more integrated than bands
 chiefdom
Formal leadership exist and authority
rest solely on the selected family

Composed of number of communities
that is ruled by a permanent paramount
chief coming from elite family
Power is inherited
Social structure is hierarchical
Social classes and class mobility exist
 Chiefdom
Simple chiefdom- central village ruled by a
single family

A number of smaller communities surround this
smaller community with each being headed by
subsidiary leader subservient to the central ruler
Complex chiefdom- several simple
chiefdoms ruled by a single paramount chief
residing in a single paramount center
Highly structured and hierarchical political
system with a class system where the elites
demand tribute from the commoner(tributary
system)
 Nation and state

Can a nation become a state?
Can a state become a nation?
 Nation

Presence of group of people that
shared a common history, language,
traditions, customs, habits and
ethnicity.
Conscious of their identity and of
their potential to become autonomous
and unified
 state
Political unit consisting of a government

that has a sovereignty presiding over a
group of people and a well defined territory.
Highest form of political organization
Nation-state- when the citizens of a state
belong to only one nation
Nation within a state, states that govern
people who have different cultural identities
and who are conscious of their being
distinct.
Political legitimacy
and authority

 Authorized or legit?????

Authority- The power to make binding
decisions and issue commands
Legitimacy- moral and ethical concept
that bestows on who possesses power
the right to exercise such power since
such is perceived to be justified and
proper.
 Types of legitimate
authority

Traditional authority- derived from well-
established costums, habits and social
structures
Charismatic authority- emanates from
charisma of an individual
Rational-legal/ bureaucratic authority-
formal rules promulgated by the state
through fundamental and implementing
laws.