Polity is the political organization and governance of a society. It includes the institutions that make and enforce rules: legislatures, executives, courts, parties, and bureaucracies. It also includes the informal ways power is exercised — patronage, protest, and social movements.

The term comes from Aristotle, who used it to describe a balanced constitution. In modern sociology, polity is one of the major social institutions, alongside economy, family, religion, and education. It regulates conflict, allocates resources, and provides collective goods.

Components of polity

• Formal government: branches, levels, constitutions
• Political parties and elections
• Interest groups and lobbying
• Civil society and social movements
• Legal systems and law enforcement

Polities vary from liberal democracies to authoritarian regimes to hybrid systems. Sociologists study how power is distributed, how decisions are made, and who is excluded. A polity is not just a government. It is the whole field of political life.