Political and Social Order

Definition

Political and social order refers to how society is organized politically and socially. It involves systems of governance, societal norms, laws, power structures, class hierarchies, etc.

Analogy

Consider political and social order as rules for playing a board game. Just as each game has its own set rules about how pieces move or how players take turns - societies have their own rules about who holds power, how decisions are made or how people interact with each other.

Related terms

Feudalism: A hierarchical system where nobles hold lands from the Crown in exchange for military service while peasants were obliged to live on their lord's land giving them labor/services in return for protection.

Democracy: A system where citizens exercise power by voting; rule by majority.

Social Hierarchy: The organization or classification of individuals within society from high to low based on factors such as wealth, occupation etc.