Evolution of governments (was: Consistency in naming)

Isidora Zamora scripsit:

> I'm not quite certain how they went from being ruled by indepenent warlords
> to becoming a united representative democracy.  The origins of the National
> Council probably have something to do with independent warlords meeting in
> councils to decide on strategy, but how you get from there to Councilors
> being elected by the general population, I really don't know.  And
> Trehelish women vote and hold office, too.  Where that came from is
> something that I can't figure.  The Conquest took about 150 years to
> accomplish, and a lot of cultural shifts took place during and after that
> era, but how I can't figure.  Ideas will be entertained, since I am at a
> loss.
Well, if it's anything like the analogous process in Europe, it went
something like this.  First, the chief warlords and religious hierarchs
met to decide on policy and strategy.  Each one brought his henchmen
with him.  (Up to you whether the participation of women is old and
deep-rooted, or a recent development.)  These councils started to be
held in a consistent place on a regular schedule, perhaps annually for
a month or so.  The list of henchmen becomes fixed.

Somewhat later, another group starts to meet, consisting of large
landowners, representatives of city guilds, and perhaps scholars from
the universities.  At first, this meeting has no official status, though
it is held near the official council and at the same times.  Eventually,
it becomes habitual for the first group to consult the second group to
determine the views of the people on important matters.  The second group
grows with the increase in population, and eventually the tail starts to
wag the dog.  Now we have a typical parliament with lords and commons.
From there on, it's a matter of increasing prosperity in the commons,
increasing irrelevancy (and parasitism) in the lords.

But it seems to me that 150 years is a little short for such a process.

--
Evolutionary psychology is the theory           John Cowan
that men are nothing but horn-dogs,             http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
and that women only want them for their money.  http://www.reutershealth.com
        --Susan McCarthy (adapted)              jcowan@reutershealth.com

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