The relationship between economic and political development in nonindustrialized societies

Ethnology • Vol/Iss. 2 • Published In • Pages: 228-248 •
By Ember, Melvin

Abstract

This study investigates the role of economic development in facilitating political development in preindustrial societies, theorizing that the redistribution of resources is an important factor in this relationship. Results indicate that these two types of development have a curvilinear relationship, and the author concludes that economic development is a necessary but not sufficient cause of political development in preindustrial societies.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
HRAF Collection of Ethnography (paper/fiche)
Ethnographic Reports

Hypotheses (5)

HypothesisSupported
". . . [there is a positive] correlation between upper limit of community size differentiation of political authority" (239)Supported
"[There is a] relationship between relative importance of agriculture and differentiation of political authority" (240)Supported
"[There is a] relationship between relative importance of agriculture and level of political integration" (243Supported
"In sum, the results of this study clearly show that economic and political development are functionally related in nonindustrialized societies" (240)Supported
"If we plot the distribution of these scores, we find that the relationship between the two variables [economic and political development] is not linear. Rather, the relationship curves increasingly upward" (243-244)Supported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: mas  Amelia Piazza