Political Anthropology – MCQs 100 Score: 0 Attempted: 0/100 Subscribe 1. What does Political Anthropology primarily study? (A) Climate change (B) Political systems and power in human societies (C) Animal behavior (D) DNA structures 2. Who is known as one of the pioneers of Political Anthropology? (A) Bronislaw Malinowski (B) Max Weber (C) E. E. Evans-Pritchard (D) Charles Darwin 3. What is the key focus of Political Anthropology? (A) Economic exchange (B) Power, authority, and governance in societies (C) Religious rituals (D) Art and music 4. Which of the following terms refers to a stateless political system? (A) Chiefdom (B) Band (C) State (D) Empire 5. What does the term “chiefdom” refer to? (A) Stateless society (B) Society led by a hereditary chief (C) Large empire (D) Military organization 6. Which of the following is an example of informal political control? (A) Constitution (B) Military laws (C) Gossip and public opinion (D) Written treaties 7. Which anthropologist studied the Nuer political system? (A) Franz Boas (B) Margaret Mead (C) E. E. Evans-Pritchard (D) Claude Lévi-Strauss 8. What type of society is characterized by egalitarian political structures? (A) Bands (B) Chiefdoms (C) States (D) Empires 9. The term “Big Man” is associated with which type of political leadership? (A) Authoritarian rule (B) Influence-based leadership in tribes (C) Constitutional monarchy (D) Presidential system 10. Which of the following describes a segmentary lineage system? (A) Organized by kinship, used to maintain social order (B) Based on military hierarchy (C) Corporate political ownership (D) Industrial management 11. Which is NOT a function of political systems in anthropology? (A) Social control (B) Resource allocation (C) DNA replication (D) Conflict resolution 12. What kind of authority is based on personal qualities and charisma? (A) Legal authority (B) Traditional authority (C) Charismatic authority (D) Religious authority 13. Which of the following refers to the use of force or the threat of force to maintain order? (A) Legitimacy (B) Persuasion (C) Coercion (D) Reciprocity 14. What is “law” in Political Anthropology? (A) Social customs only (B) Formal or informal rules to regulate conduct (C) Tax collection rules (D) Voting rights legislation 15. Which anthropologist introduced the concept of “segmentary opposition”? (A) Max Gluckman (B) E. E. Evans-Pritchard (C) Clifford Geertz (D) Alfred Kroeber 16. Which of the following is characteristic of tribes? (A) Formal bureaucracy (B) Informal leadership (C) Hereditary kingship (D) Written constitution 17. A state is typically defined by having: (A) No formal institutions (B) Formal legal systems, military, and centralized authority (C) Only kin-based leadership (D) Temporary alliances 18. The study of political symbolism is associated with: (A) Bronislaw Malinowski (B) Clifford Geertz (C) Ruth Benedict (D) Karl Marx 19. Which type of political organization has hereditary leadership but is more complex than bands? (A) Tribe (B) Chiefdom (C) State (D) Segmentary society 20. In anthropology, what are sanctions? (A) Economic policies (B) Rewards or punishments used to enforce conformity (C) Tax rules (D) Migration policies 21. What term describes the legitimate right to rule? (A) Authority (B) Power (C) Coercion (D) Reciprocity 22. Which term refers to the absence of formal government? (A) Anarchy (B) Monarchy (C) Democracy (D) Oligarchy 23. What is political integration? (A) Joining two computers (B) Bringing people together under a common political structure (C) Social dancing traditions (D) Studying ancient languages 24. Max Weber’s three types of authority include legal-rational, traditional, and: (A) Autocratic (B) Charismatic (C) Democratic (D) Hierarchical 25. A tribe differs from a chiefdom in that a tribe: (A) Is always larger (B) Has informal leadership (C) Uses elected officials (D) Has written laws 26. What is “nation-state”? (A) A single tribe (B) Political unit with defined boundaries and centralized government (C) Stateless community (D) Temporary village 27. Political Anthropologists often focus on: (A) Modern city architecture (B) Comparative analysis of political systems (C) Medical anthropology (D) Agricultural techniques 28. What distinguishes a chiefdom from a state? (A) Use of complex laws (B) Centralized, hereditary authority but less complex than a state (C) Written constitution (D) Use of military 29. Which of the following is an informal means of social control? (A) Court systems (B) Laws (C) Shame and gossip (D) Police enforcement 30. Anthropologists consider which of the following essential to understanding political structures? (A) Technology (B) Language (C) Social organization (D) Artistic skill 31. What does “hegemony” mean in anthropology? (A) Military rule (B) Dominance achieved through cultural means and consent (C) Rule by military leaders (D) Tax collection 32. Which political system is characterized by formal institutions and codified laws? (A) Bands (B) Tribes (C) Chiefdoms (D) States 33. Which is an example of legal-rational authority? (A) Tribal elder’s influence (B) King’s divine right (C) Government official operating under law (D) Religious priest rule 34. Which of the following often enforces social norms in stateless societies? (A) Military (B) Police (C) Kinship groups (D) Court systems 35. Max Weber is associated with theories of: (A) Social stratification (B) Religious symbolism (C) Authority and legitimacy (D) Evolutionary anthropology 36. What are public transcripts? (A) Official government statements (B) Open public interactions between the powerful and the powerless (C) Banking receipts (D) Educational certificates 37. “Hidden transcripts” refer to: (A) Official speeches by leaders (B) Subversive discussions among the oppressed (C) Court decisions (D) Banking transactions 38. Political organization among foraging societies tends to be: (A) Highly centralized (B) Egalitarian and informal (C) Based on voting (D) Monarchic 39. Who introduced the concept of “weapons of the weak”? (A) E. E. Evans-Pritchard (B) Clifford Geertz (C) James C. Scott (D) Bronislaw Malinowski 40. What is an acephalous society? (A) Society with a central leader (B) Society without a recognized leader or head (C) Society with elected officials (D) Society ruled by military chiefs 41. Gossip functions in Political Anthropology as: (A) Formal punishment (B) A powerful informal social control (C) Court trial evidence (D) Political propaganda 42. Which anthropologist focused on “thick description” in analyzing politics? (A) James C. Scott (B) Clifford Geertz (C) Margaret Mead (D) Franz Boas 43. Political anthropology distinguishes between authority and: (A) Coercion (B) Kinship (C) Social mobility (D) Technology 44. Customary law is usually: (A) Written down in legal documents (B) Passed orally through generations (C) Enforced by international courts (D) Published in newspapers 45. Political systems in anthropology are classified into bands, tribes, chiefdoms, and: (A) Companies (B) States (C) Corporations (D) Castes 46. “Authority” differs from “power” because: (A) Authority is always enforced by police (B) Authority is recognized as legitimate (C) Authority involves physical force (D) Authority is informal 47. Which of the following best explains legal pluralism? (A) Using only one legal system (B) The coexistence of multiple legal systems in a society (C) Having no legal rules (D) Using legal codes from neighboring countries 48. In political anthropology, conflict resolution mechanisms include: (A) Gossip only (B) Formal courts, mediation, and customary councils (C) Video calls (D) Marketing 49. Stateless societies maintain order through: (A) Complex bureaucracies (B) Kinship and informal sanctions (C) Parliamentary debates (D) Police departments 50. The study of political anthropology demonstrates that political organization is: (A) Universal and the same everywhere (B) Shaped by cultural, economic, and social factors (C) Based only on written laws (D) Always hierarchical 51. What does Political Anthropology primarily study? (A) Climate change (B) Political systems and power in human societies (C) Animal behavior (D) DNA structures 52. Who is known as one of the pioneers of Political Anthropology? (A) Bronislaw Malinowski (B) Max Weber (C) E. E. Evans-Pritchard (D) Charles Darwin 53. What is the key focus of Political Anthropology? (A) Economic exchange (B) Power, authority, and governance in societies (C) Religious rituals (D) Art and music 54. Which of the following terms refers to a stateless political system? (A) Chiefdom (B) Band (C) State (D) Empire 55. What does the term “chiefdom” refer to? (A) Stateless society (B) Society led by a hereditary chief (C) Large empire (D) Military organization 56. Which of the following is an example of informal political control? (A) Constitution (B) Military laws (C) Gossip and public opinion (D) Written treaties 57. Which anthropologist studied the Nuer political system? (A) Franz Boas (B) Margaret Mead (C) E. E. Evans-Pritchard (D) Claude Lévi-Strauss 58. What type of society is characterized by egalitarian political structures? (A) Bands (B) Chiefdoms (C) States (D) Empires 59. The term “Big Man” is associated with which type of political leadership? (A) Authoritarian rule (B) Influence-based leadership in tribes (C) Constitutional monarchy (D) Presidential system 60. Which of the following describes a segmentary lineage system? (A) Organized by kinship, used to maintain social order (B) Based on military hierarchy (C) Corporate political ownership (D) Industrial management 61. Which is NOT a function of political systems in anthropology? (A) Social control (B) Resource allocation (C) DNA replication (D) Conflict resolution 62. What kind of authority is based on personal qualities and charisma? (A) Legal authority (B) Traditional authority (C) Charismatic authority (D) Religious authority 63. Which of the following refers to the use of force or the threat of force to maintain order? (A) Legitimacy (B) Persuasion (C) Coercion (D) Reciprocity 64. What is “law” in Political Anthropology? (A) Social customs only (B) Formal or informal rules to regulate conduct (C) Tax collection rules (D) Voting rights legislation 65. Which anthropologist introduced the concept of “segmentary opposition”? (A) Max Gluckman (B) E. E. Evans-Pritchard (C) Clifford Geertz (D) Alfred Kroeber 66. Which of the following is characteristic of tribes? (A) Formal bureaucracy (B) Informal leadership (C) Hereditary kingship (D) Written constitution 67. A state is typically defined by having: (A) No formal institutions (B) Formal legal systems, military, and centralized authority (C) Only kin-based leadership (D) Temporary alliances 68. The study of political symbolism is associated with: (A) Bronislaw Malinowski (B) Clifford Geertz (C) Ruth Benedict (D) Karl Marx 69. Which type of political organization has hereditary leadership but is more complex than bands? (A) Tribe (B) Chiefdom (C) State (D) Segmentary society 70. In anthropology, what are sanctions? (A) Economic policies (B) Rewards or punishments used to enforce conformity (C) Tax rules (D) Migration policies 71. What term describes the legitimate right to rule? (A) Authority (B) Power (C) Coercion (D) Reciprocity 72. Which term refers to the absence of formal government? (A) Anarchy (B) Monarchy (C) Democracy (D) Oligarchy 73. What is political integration? (A) Joining two computers (B) Bringing people together under a common political structure (C) Social dancing traditions (D) Studying ancient languages 74. Max Weber’s three types of authority include legal-rational, traditional, and: (A) Autocratic (B) Charismatic (C) Democratic (D) Hierarchical 75. A tribe differs from a chiefdom in that a tribe: (A) Is always larger (B) Has informal leadership (C) Uses elected officials (D) Has written laws 76. What is “nation-state”? (A) A single tribe (B) Political unit with defined boundaries and centralized government (C) Stateless community (D) Temporary village 77. Political Anthropologists often focus on: (A) Modern city architecture (B) Comparative analysis of political systems (C) Medical anthropology (D) Agricultural techniques 78. What distinguishes a chiefdom from a state? (A) Use of complex laws (B) Centralized, hereditary authority but less complex than a state (C) Written constitution (D) Use of military 79. Which of the following is an informal means of social control? (A) Court systems (B) Laws (C) Shame and gossip (D) Police enforcement 80. Anthropologists consider which of the following essential to understanding political structures? (A) Technology (B) Language (C) Social organization (D) Artistic skill 81. What does “hegemony” mean in anthropology? (A) Military rule (B) Dominance achieved through cultural means and consent (C) Rule by military leaders (D) Tax collection 82. Which political system is characterized by formal institutions and codified laws? (A) Bands (B) Tribes (C) Chiefdoms (D) States 83. Which is an example of legal-rational authority? (A) Tribal elder’s influence (B) King’s divine right (C) Government official operating under law (D) Religious priest rule 84. Which of the following often enforces social norms in stateless societies? (A) Military (B) Police (C) Kinship groups (D) Court systems 85. Max Weber is associated with theories of: (A) Social stratification (B) Religious symbolism (C) Authority and legitimacy (D) Evolutionary anthropology 86. What are public transcripts? (A) Official government statements (B) Open public interactions between the powerful and the powerless (C) Banking receipts (D) Educational certificates 87. “Hidden transcripts” refer to: (A) Official speeches by leaders (B) Subversive discussions among the oppressed (C) Court decisions (D) Banking transactions 88. Political organization among foraging societies tends to be: (A) Highly centralized (B) Egalitarian and informal (C) Based on voting (D) Monarchic 89. Who introduced the concept of “weapons of the weak”? (A) E. E. Evans-Pritchard (B) Clifford Geertz (C) James C. Scott (D) Bronislaw Malinowski 90. What is an acephalous society? (A) Society with a central leader (B) Society without a recognized leader or head (C) Society with elected officials (D) Society ruled by military chiefs 91. Gossip functions in Political Anthropology as: (A) Formal punishment (B) A powerful informal social control (C) Court trial evidence (D) Political propaganda 92. Which anthropologist focused on “thick description” in analyzing politics? (A) James C. Scott (B) Clifford Geertz (C) Margaret Mead (D) Franz Boas 93. Political anthropology distinguishes between authority and: (A) Coercion (B) Kinship (C) Social mobility (D) Technology 94. Customary law is usually: (A) Written down in legal documents (B) Passed orally through generations (C) Enforced by international courts (D) Published in newspapers 95. Political systems in anthropology are classified into bands, tribes, chiefdoms, and: (A) Companies (B) States (C) Corporations (D) Castes 96. “Authority” differs from “power” because: (A) Authority is always enforced by police (B) Authority is recognized as legitimate (C) Authority involves physical force (D) Authority is informal 97. Which of the following best explains legal pluralism? (A) Using only one legal system (B) The coexistence of multiple legal systems in a society (C) Having no legal rules (D) Using legal codes from neighboring countries 98. In political anthropology, conflict resolution mechanisms include: (A) Gossip only (B) Formal courts, mediation, and customary councils (C) Video calls (D) Marketing 99. Stateless societies maintain order through: (A) Complex bureaucracies (B) Kinship and informal sanctions (C) Parliamentary debates (D) Police departments 100. The study of political anthropology demonstrates that political organization is: (A) Universal and the same everywhere (B) Shaped by cultural, economic, and social factors (C) Based only on written laws (D) Always hierarchical