Political and Leadership Structures

Vocabulary flashcards covering key definitions, political organizations, elements of state, forms of government, authority types, and leadership figures based on the lecture material.

Political Structure

An organized way in which power is distributed and decisions are made within society.

Sir Edward Evan (E.E.) Evans-Pritchard

A British social anthropologist who, alongside Meyer Fortes, classified political organizations into stateless (acephalous) societies and state (cephalous) societies.

Acephalous Societies

Commonly known as stateless societies, these lack government, central authority, administrative power, judicial institutions, and social classification.

Cephalous Societies

State societies that possess central governmental institutions, authority, and judicial power over their people, where wealth, status, and privilege correspond to authority and power.

Band

The simplest political system formed by several families living together based on marriage ties, common descendants, and friendship affiliations; typically a small, egalitarian, kin-based group of 10 to 50 people.

Tribe

A political organization that practices agriculture to support larger populations, comprising a number of politically integrated bands sharing a language, religious beliefs, and culture.

Lumad

Indigenous non-Muslim groups in Mindanao, which include tribes such as the Mandaya, Manobo, and Subanen.

Moro

Bangsamoro Muslim groups in Mindanao, which include tribes such as the Maranao, Tausug, and Badjao.

Chiefdoms

A political organization composed of a number of communities ruled by a permanent paramount chief coming from an elite family, where power is inherited.

Simple Chiefdoms

Chiefdoms characterized by a central village or community ruled by a single family.

Complex Chiefdom

A political organization composed of several chiefdoms ruled by a single paramount chief.

Nation

A cultural unit and group of people sharing a common history, language, traditions, customs, habits, and ethnicity, derived from the Latin word 'nation-' meaning birth.

State

An independent political unit consisting of a government that possesses sovereignty presiding over a well-defined geographic territory.

Nation State

A state in which the citizens belong to only one nation.

People (Element of State)

A permanent community of individuals residing within a state's borders, large enough to sustain and organize a society.

Territory (Element of State)

An essential, definite geographic domain of a State; a State cannot exist in the air or at sea and is inherently a territorial unit.

Government (Element of State)

The organization, agency, or magistracy of the State that makes, implements, enforces, and adjudicates its laws.

Sovereignty (Element of State)

The most exclusive element of a State, possessed by the State alone, without which no State can exist.

Authority

The formal or recognized right to exercise power, make binding decisions, and issue commands, derived from legal position, social norms, expertise, or institutional roles.

Legitimacy

A moral and ethical concept that bestows rightful authority upon power holders, based on public consent, shared values, laws, traditions, or trust.

Max Weber

A sociologist who linked authority to legitimacy by examining how individuals accept power, identifying traditional, charismatic, and rational-legal types of authority.

Traditional Authority

A type of authority where legitimacy is derived from well-established customs, habits, and social structures, such as monarchical rule.

Charismatic Authority

Authority legitimated through an individual's extraordinary personal qualities and abilities that inspire devotion and obedience.

Charisma

Extraordinary personal qualities that turn an audience into followers.

Rational Legal or Bureaucratic Authority

Authority that draws its legitimacy from formal rules promulgated by the state through fundamental and implementing laws; the dominant form of authority in modern states.

Executive Branch

The branch of government responsible for executing, implementing, and administering laws to provide law and order in the country.

Legislative Branch

The branch of government responsible for making and creating laws that the country needs.

Judiciary Branch

The branch of government responsible for interpreting laws.

Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr.

Commonly known as 'Bongbong Marcos' or BBM, the current President of the Philippines.

Sara Zimmerman Duterte-Carpio

Commonly known as Inday Sara, a Filipino lawyer and politician serving as the 15th and current Vice President of the Philippines.

Sherwin "Win" Gatchalian

The current President of the Senate of the Philippines, elected during a special session of Congress on June 17, 2026.

Faustino "Bojie" G. Dy III

Isabela 6th District Representative and current Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, assuming office on September 17, 2025.

Alexander Gahon Gesmundo

A Filipino judge who has served as the 27th Chief Justice of the Philippines since 2021.

Monarchy

A political system in which a representative from one family controls the government and power is passed on through that family from generation to generation.

Absolute Monarchy

A form of government in which a single person (usually a king or queen) holds absolute, autocratic power.

Constitutional Monarchy

A system of government in which a monarch shares power with a constitutionally organized government.

Democracy

A system in which citizens choose officials to run their government through popular or majority votes.

Authoritarianism

A form of government and social organization characterized by concentration of power in a single leader or small elite, blind submission to authority, and strict repression of individual freedoms and political opposition.

Totalitarianism

A political system under which the government maintains control over all aspects of its citizens' lives.