In this chapter, the longest of the book, the authors discuss the origins of the nation-state—the most common form of political and social organization across the globe today. Specifically, they argue that there really is no single origin for the inception of the state as an organizing political force, that there was no inevitable march toward what might appear to be a foregone conclusion. In fact, as their subtitle “The humble beginnings of sovereignty, bureaucracy and politics” implies, the actual story is prosaic. Peoples in separate regions came up with different ways in which to govern and create culture. Like their arguments regarding agriculture, the authors claim that various peoples experimented with forms of government and social organization, sometimes changing their political behaviors over time. They also remind the reader that, in addition to the fact that the nation-state was not inevitable, early forms of bureaucracy and politics often allowed ordinary people a great deal of autonomy.

First, the authors point out that there has never been a consensus on the definition of a state, and many scholars simply assume “that any large and complex society necessarily required a state” (361). This is a notion that the authors refute, arguing that all their previous examples about early foraging societies and the earliest cities provide evidence for various outcomes.