In the field of political science, a political system represents the form of political organization that a society or country can observe, recognize, or otherwise confirm. It defines the process by which formal government decisions are made, typically including the government's legal and economic systems, social and cultural systems, and other systems specifically related to the state and government. However, such a definition oversimplifies a complex discussion involving authority and the influence of government over people and the economy.
A political system can be designated as the interaction of authoritative configurations of values in society.
According to the basic classification of social anthropologists, political systems can be divided into centralized and non-centralized systems. In non-centralized systems, such as tribes, there were family-based structures. However, as social systems became increasingly complex, many societies transformed into more centralized regimes, such as chiefdoms and sovereign states.
For example, tribes are typically larger, made up of multiple families, and have social institutions like chiefs or elders, while chiefdoms are more complex. They often have highly unequal power structures and operate under the absolute control of a small number of nobles.
In contrast to these decentralized systems, a sovereign state is a political entity with a persistent population, a well-defined territory and government, and the ability to establish relationships with other sovereign states. Empires can be viewed as diffuse states composed of diverse peoples under a single rule, and they often achieve significant advances in political structure and social governance.
The sophisticated organizational capabilities of empires allow them to maintain absolute dominance on a global scale.
In contemporary times, scholars study political systems from a sociocultural perspective, especially the power and interest relationships between the government and the people. According to research by a Yale University professor, current political systems can be divided into three types: democracy, totalitarianism, and authoritarianism in between.
Of these, monarchy is often seen as an independent form of government, or as a mixture of the three main forms of government. Scholars often classify authoritarian regimes within the categories of authoritarianism or totalitarianism.
Under any system, the monopoly of power and the struggle between classes are inevitable.
German philosopher Karl Marx believed that the political system of all countries is essentially the dictatorship of a social class, investing in mutual interests. With the development of society, the relationship between oppression and anti-oppression between classes also changes. Will continue to evolve. This perspective emphasizes how economic and political systems are designed to safeguard the interests of the ruling class.
From different sociopolitical analyses, we can see that the power of government does not exist in isolation, but is the result of interaction in the continuously changing social structure. Whether it is democracy or autocracy, the control of power is always a game between multiple forces. Who is the real person in power? We still need to think deeply and explore?