Q.1 Which type of political organization is typically found in small, kin-based societies?
State
Chiefdom
Tribe
Band
Explanation - Bands are small, kin-based societies with informal leadership, usually found among hunter-gatherers.
Correct answer is: Band
Q.2 In a chiefdom, political power is usually:
Egalitarian
Centralized under a chief
Distributed equally
Based on meritocracy
Explanation - Chiefdoms have a hierarchical structure with a single leader, often hereditary, who holds central authority.
Correct answer is: Centralized under a chief
Q.3 Which anthropologist is best known for studying political systems in small-scale societies?
Margaret Mead
E.E. Evans-Pritchard
Bronislaw Malinowski
Franz Boas
Explanation - Evans-Pritchard conducted extensive studies of the Nuer people, focusing on kinship and political organization.
Correct answer is: E.E. Evans-Pritchard
Q.4 A state differs from a chiefdom primarily because it:
Has a written legal code
Lacks social hierarchy
Is kin-based
Relies on consensus
Explanation - States are centralized political entities with formal institutions and often codified laws, unlike chiefdoms.
Correct answer is: Has a written legal code
Q.5 The concept of 'legitimacy of power' in political anthropology refers to:
The ability to enforce taxes
The recognized right to rule
Control over military
Popularity among citizens
Explanation - Legitimacy is the culturally accepted justification for authority, which may be based on tradition, religion, or law.
Correct answer is: The recognized right to rule
Q.6 In tribal societies, leadership is often:
Hereditary and rigid
Temporary and based on skill
Codified in law
Permanent and bureaucratic
Explanation - Tribal leaders often gain authority through personal abilities, persuasion, or achievements rather than formal institutions.
Correct answer is: Temporary and based on skill
Q.7 Which of the following is a feature of an egalitarian political system?
Rigid hierarchy
Equal access to resources
Centralized taxation
Standing army
Explanation - Egalitarian systems, like bands, distribute resources and decision-making more equally among members.
Correct answer is: Equal access to resources
Q.8 Political authority in chiefdoms is often justified through:
Democratic elections
Religious or ritual significance
Written constitutions
Military coups
Explanation - Chiefs often claim spiritual or ritual authority to legitimize their power.
Correct answer is: Religious or ritual significance
Q.9 Segmentary lineage systems are most commonly associated with:
States
Tribes
Chiefdoms
Bands
Explanation - Segmentary lineage systems organize society into nested kinship groups and are characteristic of tribal societies.
Correct answer is: Tribes
Q.10 Max Weber defined three types of legitimate authority. Which is NOT one of them?
Charismatic
Traditional
Legal-rational
Military
Explanation - Weber's types of legitimate authority are charismatic, traditional, and legal-rational; military is not a type but can be a tool of authority.
Correct answer is: Military
Q.11 In a state society, social control is maintained primarily through:
Kin obligations
Formal institutions and law
Customary consensus
Age-grade systems
Explanation - States rely on formalized institutions, laws, and enforcement mechanisms to regulate society.
Correct answer is: Formal institutions and law
Q.12 Which of the following is a characteristic of a band society?
Permanent settlements
Hierarchical leadership
Small, mobile groups
Codified laws
Explanation - Bands are typically small, mobile hunter-gatherer groups with informal leadership.
Correct answer is: Small, mobile groups
Q.13 Political anthropology studies:
Artistic traditions
Economic transactions only
Power, authority, and governance
Biological evolution
Explanation - Political anthropology focuses on how societies organize, exercise, and justify power and authority.
Correct answer is: Power, authority, and governance
Q.14 In some tribal societies, conflict resolution is managed by:
Judges
Elders or councils
Military tribunals
Police forces
Explanation - Tribal societies often rely on respected elders or councils for mediation and conflict resolution.
Correct answer is: Elders or councils
Q.15 Which form of political leadership is most likely to use coercion extensively?
Band leader
Tribal headman
Chief
State ruler
Explanation - States have formal institutions, armies, and police forces that can enforce laws and exert coercion.
Correct answer is: State ruler
Q.16 Redistribution is a key economic function in which political system?
Band
Tribe
Chiefdom
State
Explanation - Chiefs collect resources from their followers and redistribute them, reinforcing social hierarchy.
Correct answer is: Chiefdom
Q.17 The term 'social stratification' refers to:
Kin-based obligations
Layered social hierarchy
Temporary leadership
Nomadic lifestyle
Explanation - Social stratification is the division of society into ranked layers with unequal access to resources and power.
Correct answer is: Layered social hierarchy
Q.18 Which of the following societies is most likely to have a centralized authority?
Band
Tribe
Chiefdom
Nomadic clan
Explanation - Chiefdoms feature centralized leadership, usually under a hereditary chief, unlike bands or tribes.
Correct answer is: Chiefdom
Q.19 Power exercised through persuasion, prestige, or charisma rather than force is called:
Coercive power
Influence
Economic power
Military power
Explanation - Influence refers to the ability to shape outcomes through personal qualities or social respect rather than direct coercion.
Correct answer is: Influence
Q.20 In an acephalous society, there is:
No formal leader
A hereditary monarch
A central bureaucracy
A codified legal system
Explanation - Acephalous societies lack centralized leadership; decisions are made collectively or by elders.
Correct answer is: No formal leader
Q.21 What distinguishes a 'tribe' from a 'band'?
Use of agriculture and larger population
Absence of kinship
Centralized legal system
Presence of codified laws
Explanation - Tribes often practice horticulture or pastoralism and have larger populations than bands.
Correct answer is: Use of agriculture and larger population
Q.22 The concept of 'chiefly redistribution' helps to explain:
How bands manage resources
How chiefs gain social prestige
Why states develop armies
Why tribes elect leaders
Explanation - By collecting and redistributing goods, chiefs demonstrate power and reinforce their status.
Correct answer is: How chiefs gain social prestige
Q.23 In a legal-rational authority system, legitimacy is derived from:
Tradition and custom
Charisma of the leader
Formal rules and laws
Divine right
Explanation - Legal-rational authority depends on codified laws and institutional procedures rather than personal or traditional claims.
Correct answer is: Formal rules and laws
Q.24 Which statement best describes political integration in a state?
It relies solely on kinship ties
It is decentralized and informal
It uses bureaucracy and institutions to unify society
It is achieved through temporary alliances
Explanation - States achieve political integration through structured institutions, laws, and administrative systems.
Correct answer is: It uses bureaucracy and institutions to unify society