What is a hierarchy?
Q: What is a hierarchy?
A: A hierarchy is a way of ranking and organizing things or people. It is like a pyramid structure where each part of the hierarchy is below some other part, and it is used to decide who can make decisions and who must comply with those decisions.
Q: What are some examples of hierarchies?
A: Examples of hierarchies include the structure of a company, an army, democracy, and dictatorship. In each example, those higher up in the hierarchy have more authority and power than those lower down.
Q: How does democracy work as a hierarchy?
A: In democracy, people are educated on issues then vote in an election to choose leaders or in a referendum to choose one option from several. Competing power networks form political parties that offer only one leader or one option to simplify decision-making. After the decision has been made they typically do not fight it but wait for the next election.
Q: How does dictatorship work as a hierarchy?
A: In dictatorship, one powerful person makes all decisions which everyone else must follow or face exile, imprisonment, or death - even if the decision isn't very important since refusal to follow it is seen as challenging the power structure itself. There is only one power network and all others must become part of it or fight it. Civil war is much more common in dictatorships than democracies.
Q: What happens when someone refuses to follow decisions made by those higher up in the hierarchy?
A: In democracies those who refuse to follow decisions typically don't fight them but wait for another election; however in dictatorships anyone who refuses will be exiled, imprisoned, or killed since refusal challenges the power structure itself.
