Political anthropology is the study of socio-political organizations. It is primarily concerned with the structure and forms of political systems from the viewpoint of societal framework. It tackles various aspects and scope of influence among people within an organized group/community.
Basically, anthropological political systems are present in basic communities and even in circles of friends. The authority and leadership in such anthropological political systems emanate from the influence the leader has over his/her members of from the overall charisma and reputation of the leader.
Anthropological political systems are categorized into two groups, the centralized and the decentralized. Centralized anthropological political systems include the band and tribe while the decentralized include the chiefdom and state.
Band
Band is a form of anthropological political system noted for its simplicity. According to common anthropological knowledge, a band usually consists of not more than 30-50 individuals. Bands display an egalitarian form of authority which advocates equality among members and the eradication of hindrances to the doctrine of equality.
However, bands often exhibit a weak form of leadership due to the non-existent of rules and written laws the support their leaders.
Tribe
Tribes are loosely-structured anthropological political systems composed of families and other communities which are based solely on kinship. Tribes are the most basic and primitive form of political system.
In tribal societies, the elders and the heads of the families are often the ones who lead the tribe. They are usually the ones who are sought for advice and guidance.
The main difference between a band and a tribe is the size of the community. Tribes are defined as bigger forms of bands.
Chiefdom
Chiefdom is a form of anthropological political system that is more complex than both the band and the tribe. A chiefdom according to common anthropological knowledge is composed of a number of villages under the control of one individual called as “chief.”
Anthropologist, however, argued that such form of anthropological political system is very stable. According to experts, this kind of socio-political organization tends to be prone to a cycle of monumental collapse.
State
A state greatly differs from a band, tribe and chiefdom because of its developed nature. Unlike the other three primitive systems, a state is governed by rules and laws which generates from a just law-making body. States are the governing bodies of nations where sovereignty resides.
In order to be recognized as a state, an anthropological political system must meet the four requirements of having a permanent population, a defined territory, a government and the capacity to enter relations with other states.
