Practice question · Select all that apply
Which mechanisms enforce norms in stateless societies?
Hints
- Enforcement without a state runs through mediation and compensation.
- A standing force is exactly what these societies lack.
Show the answer
- A. Public ridicule and song duels
- B. Mediation by figures like the Nuer leopard-skin chief
- D. Graded compensation payments for injuries
Why
Mediators, tariffs of compensation, and weaponized laughter keep the peace; the standing police force is precisely the state-machinery these societies lack.
Practise Political Organization
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