| Front | Back | | --- | --- | | How did geography determine the political structure of non-sedentary versus sedentary societies in the pre-Columbian Americas? |

Non-sedentary: Harsh or variable environments required high mobility, resulting in small bands with flexible, consensus-based local leadership.
Sedentary: Fertile lands supported stable farming, leading to larger populations, social hierarchies, and centralized state authority.

| | Why was leadership in non-sedentary societies typically consensus-based rather than coercive? |

Mobility: Small, mobile bands had few material possessions, preventing the accumulation of wealth needed to buy influence.
Voluntary association: Without a permanent state apparatus, leaders (elders or chiefs) relied on persuasion and collective agreement to maintain group cohesion.

| | What environmental and political advantages did semi-sedentary governance offer over fully sedentary systems? |

Environmental flexibility: Seasonal relocation prevented soil depletion and adapted to shifting food resources.
Political flexibility: Leadership shifted based on seasonal activities (farming vs. hunting), preventing rigid hierarchies.

| | The Iroquois Confederacy was founded in the northeastern woodlands by the Peacemaker and Hiawatha under a constitution known as the Great Law of Peace, which ended inter-tribal warfare. | The Iroquois Confederacy was founded in the northeastern woodlands by the Peacemaker and Hiawatha under a constitution known as the Great Law of Peace, which ended inter-tribal warfare. | | How did the Iroquois Grand Council balance the sovereignty of individual member nations with collective governance? |

Sachems: Each nation sent representatives to the central council at Onondaga.
Unanimity rule: All decisions required unanimous agreement, preventing any single nation from dominating.

| | What political mechanisms gave Iroquois women (Clan Mothers) direct leverage over state leadership? |

Veto and selection power: Clan mothers had the sole authority to appoint and depose the male representatives (sachems) on the Grand Council.
Resource control: They managed land and food distribution, anchoring political power in economic control.

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Why is the Aztec Empire, depicted in this political structure, historically characterized as a "hegemonic confederation" rather than a directly governed empire?

| Because it was organized around the Triple Alliance and maintained control indirectly by demanding tribute from conquered city-states, rather than administering them through a centralized bureaucracy. | | How did the Inca state maintain administrative control over its vast, geographically fragmented territory? |

Infrastructure: Built an extensive road network for rapid communication and military deployment.
Bureaucracy: Used a highly centralized administrative hierarchy operating from the capital, Cuzco.

| | How did the Inca Empire integrate conquered local elites into its centralized political hierarchy? |

Curacas (local chiefs): Retained their local authority and traditional status.
Imperial integration: In exchange, they had to enforce imperial laws, collect tribute, and organize labor (mit'a) for the Sapa Inca.

| | The ruler of the Inca Empire, known as the Sapa Inca, held absolute authority because he was revered as a direct descendant of the sun god, blending political power with divine legitimacy. | The ruler of the Inca Empire, known as the Sapa Inca, held absolute authority because he was revered as a direct descendant of the sun god, blending political power with divine legitimacy. | | Compare the political ideals of pre-Columbian confederations with those of pre-Columbian empires. |

Confederations: Valued shared power, local autonomy, and consensus-based decision-making.
Empires: Valued centralized authority, rigid social hierarchies, and military expansion.
Commonality: Both integrated religious authority and resource control to legitimize their systems.

| | The original five nations of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy were the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca. | The original five nations of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy were the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca. | | What was the primary operational weakness of the Iroquois consensus-based decision-making model compared to imperial structures? |

Slow decision-making: Requiring unanimity among sovereign nations made responding to rapid external crises or sudden threats highly inefficient.

| | To extract economic value from conquered territories, the Inca Empire relied on the mit'a system, which was a mandatory public labor service. | To extract economic value from conquered territories, the Inca Empire relied on the mit'a system, which was a mandatory public labor service. | |

How did the political structure of the Iroquois Confederacy, shown here, differ fundamentally from the Aztec or Inca empires in terms of sovereignty?

| Power was built on shared sovereignty and mutual agreement among independent nations, rather than through military conquest and central subjugation. | | Why did the development of sedentary agricultural societies lead to the emergence of social hierarchies? | Surplus food production allowed for labor specialization and unequal accumulation of resources, which required formal systems of organization and land distribution. | |

| Gulf of | |

| Mexico | |

| TLAXCALA | |

| Tenochtitlan | |

| TARASCANS | |

| TEOTITLAN |

IB History Types of Political Organization Flashcards

Paper 1 - The Move to Global War6 subtopics

Paper 1 - Rights and Protest6 subtopics

Paper 1 - Conflict and Intervention6 subtopics

Paper 2 - Independence Movements5 subtopics

Paper 2 - Emergence and Development of Democratic States5 subtopics

Paper 2 - Authoritarian States7 subtopics

Paper 2 - Causes and Effects of 20th Century Wars4 subtopics

Paper 2 - The Cold War: Superpower Tensions and Rivalries4 subtopics

Paper 3 - History of Europe18 subtopics

Paper 3 - History of the Americas18 subtopics

Paper 3 - History of Asia and Oceania18 subtopics