UCSB Anthropology Brown Bag Lecture Series Presents:
From Political Faction to Political Institution: The Process of State Formation Then and Now
By Brian Billman
This talk examines how political leadership changes from a charismatic,
sporadic, personal form to a heirarchical, institutionalized, permanent form
by examining prehistoric and contemporary examples of state formation.
Contemporary examples include the formation of the Zuni state and the
Jonestown Guyana colony. The origins of the prehistoric Moche State on the
north coast of Peru is examined in light of these contemporary case studies.
Analysis of these diverse examples indicates that heirarchical political
institutions develop when political factions gain monopolistic control over
ideological, economic, or military power bases. Emergent political
institutions are most stable when they gain control over all three bases,
creating a triad of power.
