Controlling for community type, the researchers examine a potential relationship between family size (nuclear vs. extended) and communal leadership (hereditary vs. elected) in an effort to suggest potential predictors of hierarchical structures in societies. They claim support for their hypothesis that societies with nuclear families will be more likely to have democratic communal leadership, across four different community types.

Controlling for community type, the researchers examine a potential relationship between family size (nuclear vs. extended) and communal leadership (hereditary vs. elected) in an effort to suggest potential predictors of hierarchical structures in societies. They claim support for their hypothesis that societies with nuclear families will be more likely to have democratic communal leadership, across four different community types.

Controlling for community type, the researchers examine a potential relationship between family size (nuclear vs. extended) and communal leadership (hereditary vs. elected) in an effort to suggest potential predictors of hierarchical structures in societies. They claim support for their hypothesis that societies with nuclear families will be more likely to have democratic communal leadership, across four different community types.

Controlling for community type, the researchers examine a potential relationship between family size (nuclear vs. extended) and communal leadership (hereditary vs. elected) in an effort to suggest potential predictors of hierarchical structures in societies. They claim support for their hypothesis that societies with nuclear families will be more likely to have democratic communal leadership, across four different community types.

This study analyzes the relationship between communal democracy and family size. Results show a weakly significant negative correlation between communal leadership and family size. Authors suggest that this relationship could be challenged based on the known curvilinear relationship between family size and cultural complexity. However, several further tests suggest that there are grounds for maintaining that family size has some independent influence on the existence of communial democracy.

The study examines the relationship between communal democracy and family size. The results indicate a weak significant negative correlation between communal leadership and family size. Even though the researchers suggest that the known curvilinear relationship between the variables could challenge this finding, further tests indicate that there are grounds for maintaining that family size has some independent influence on the existence of communal democracy.

This paper adds to a body of research which analyzes the persistence of institutional features in societies over time by testing for association between local democracy (succession by consensus among preindustrial groups) and various measures of democracy in contemporary societies. The researchers conclude that beliefs and values which perceive democracy as a viable political structure may be an important mediating mechanism in producing and maintaining democratic instututions over time.

This paper adds to a body of research which analyzes the persistence of institutional features in societies over time by testing for association between local democracy (succession by consensus among preindustrial groups) and various measures of democracy in contemporary societies. The researchers conclude that beliefs and values which perceive democracy as a viable political structure may be an important mediating mechanism in producing and maintaining democratic instututions over time.

This article suggests a theory of the relationship between rules of descent and polity structure. The author suggests that “polity structure in stateless societies is a consequence of the presence or absence of cohesive factions based on lineage or family” (301). Two types of kinship ties produce different polity structures: cross-cutting ties, common in matrilineal societies, lead to political consensus; overlapping ties, common in patrilineal societies, lead to factionalism. Empirical tests support this theory.

This paper adds to a body of research which analyzes the persistence of institutional features in societies over time by testing for association between local democracy (succession by consensus among preindustrial groups) and various measures of democracy in contemporary societies. The researchers conclude that beliefs and values which perceive democracy as a viable political structure may be an important mediating mechanism in producing and maintaining democratic instututions over time.