Why do some societies have centralized power and other manage perfectly without it and why don’t uncentralized societies fall apart.
Most societies need a way to organise themselves so that they are able to thrive and have some sort of social order. Having some sort of political organization is way to bring about the social order that is needed in order for a society to thrive. This essay will focus on two types of political organization; uncentralized political systems and centralised political systems. The centralized political system is one which has been most commonly relied on throughout the world and so the question of how uncentralized political systems do not fall apart arises. Through comparison of the two types of political systems, …show more content…
A centralized political system is usually one where there is a large population and people specialize and the division of labour increases and surplus is exchanged in expanding trade networks (Haviland et al 2008: 543). Political authority is concentrated in one person or body of persons, authority means that those who are in a positions are in the that position because the people gave them that authority willingly (Haviland et 2013:282). Most societies that operate on a centralized political system are more densely populated, they are organised according to ranking, have customized social and occupational roles and will often have economies that operate on a basis of centralized redistribution (Lewellen 2003: 31). An example of a centralized political system is in chiefdoms. Chiefdoms are politically organized territories ruled by a chief heading a kin-based society. An example of this would be in the Kingdom of the Zulu during the time of Shaka …show more content…
States also have special institutions to maintain a hierarchy with differential access to resources. Although The Zulu kingdom was used as an example of chiefdom, the separate chiefdoms united to form the Zulu state in the nineteenth century. The Zulu state displayed the characteristics of complex states where a large number of disparate groups under a central authority of King. Chiefs continued having coercive power as long as the King was informed of their acts. In these centralized political systems, acquiring political position is not equal, instead it relies on class or elite lineage and political specialization appears with full-time politicians and an attendant bureaucracy (Lewellen 2003: 31)
Most societies need a way to organise themselves so that they are able to thrive and have some sort of social order. Having some sort of political organization is way to bring about the social order that is needed in order for a society to thrive. This essay will focus on two types of political organization; uncentralized political systems and centralised political systems. The centralized political system is one which has been most commonly relied on throughout the world and so the question of how uncentralized political systems do not fall apart arises. Through comparison of the two types of political systems, …show more content…
A centralized political system is usually one where there is a large population and people specialize and the division of labour increases and surplus is exchanged in expanding trade networks (Haviland et al 2008: 543). Political authority is concentrated in one person or body of persons, authority means that those who are in a positions are in the that position because the people gave them that authority willingly (Haviland et 2013:282). Most societies that operate on a centralized political system are more densely populated, they are organised according to ranking, have customized social and occupational roles and will often have economies that operate on a basis of centralized redistribution (Lewellen 2003: 31). An example of a centralized political system is in chiefdoms. Chiefdoms are politically organized territories ruled by a chief heading a kin-based society. An example of this would be in the Kingdom of the Zulu during the time of Shaka …show more content…
States also have special institutions to maintain a hierarchy with differential access to resources. Although The Zulu kingdom was used as an example of chiefdom, the separate chiefdoms united to form the Zulu state in the nineteenth century. The Zulu state displayed the characteristics of complex states where a large number of disparate groups under a central authority of King. Chiefs continued having coercive power as long as the King was informed of their acts. In these centralized political systems, acquiring political position is not equal, instead it relies on class or elite lineage and political specialization appears with full-time politicians and an attendant bureaucracy (Lewellen 2003: 31)