Final answer:
The political organization of the Maya can be described as division into small city-kingdoms. Each city-state had its own ruler and exercised authority through control over religious rituals, temple construction, and warfare. Alliances and power dynamics among the city-states were fluid.
Step-by-step explanation:
The political organization of the Maya can be described as division into small city-kingdoms. During the Classic period, approximately forty different city-states emerged in different areas of the Maya world. Each city-state had its own ruler who exercised authority through control over religious rituals, temple construction, and warfare. These city-states were autonomous and shared cultural attributes, but alliances and power dynamics frequently shifted among them.