This article examines causes of political participation in pre-industrial societies, particularly the level of resources and organization of resources. Hirschman’s concepts of exit, voice, and loyalty are also discussed. A distinction is made between range of community decision-making and the degree of adult involvement. Results from a multiple regression analysis favor the more structural variables (i.e. organization of resources) in the prediction of political participation.

This article examines structural and dispositional explanations for complexity of political institutions. Analysis suggests that both socioeconomic organization and socialization variables are useful in understanding the concentration, specialization, and centralization of political power, but socioeconomic organization variables have stronger associations.

This paper explores societal-level mechanisms associated with women’s participation in and exclusion from political life. Analysis suggests there are two statistically independent types of female political participation: involvement in decision-making and the existence of positions controlled by or reserved for women. Multiple regression analysis identifies several social-structural, psychocultural, and behavioral correlates for both types of female political participation and explanatory theory is discussed.

This study tests various theories on conflict. Multiple regression analyses are presented and support is given for the psychocultural perspective.

A general theory of conflict and violence provides a framework for understanding the relationship between internal and external political conflict and the conditions under which they are connected. This study draws on a cross-cultural sample of 90 preindustrial societies, assessing whether these two forms of conflict covary and identifies the social factors that shape their associations. Using a multiple regression analysis reveals a moderate positive relationship overall, but the strength and nature of these relationships depend on specific societal characteristics. Societies in which internal and external conflict can occur and fall together display remarkedly different patterns of cross-cutting ties compared to those in which the two forms operate independently. Structural features of social organization emerge as key determinants of whether aggression is directed inward, outward, or both. In contrast, dispositional (psychocultural) traits are strong predictors of overall conflict levels but do not distinguish between internal and external targets. Together, these findings showcases the importance of integrating structural and dispositional factors in explaining patterns of political violence.