ABSTRACT
Almost from the beginning, Western writers have entertained their readers with tales of simple societies without laws or government. Even Australian aboriginal societies that have a firmer view of their social identity are still without the mechanisms of formal government. Informal social pressures also played a large role in shaping the life of the Cheyenne. The social regulation of the Seneca Indians reinforced the effect of public opinion with fear of the supernatural — "oral tradition supported by a sense of duty, a fear of gossip, and a dread of retaliatory witchcraft". When administrative structures begin to decide on questions of policy, government begins to regard the various corporate groups as divisive and will seek to liquidate them. The American legal system exemplifies this evolution from community to bureaucracy. Increasingly, the official legal system has come to be invested with all authority for maintaining order and resolving conflicts.
