Final answer:
Political organization correlates with subsistence patterns as different modes of subsistence lead to varying social structures, from acephalous bands and tribes with decentralized leadership to centralized chiefdoms and states with formal political systems.
Step-by-step explanation:
To correlate political organization with subsistence patterns, it is essential to understand how different societies organize both their economic and political structures. As elaborated by anthropologist Elman Service, there is a connection between modes of subsistence—gathering-hunting, pastoralism, plant cultivation, and industrialism—and the form of social organization that develops. For example, band societies, associated with gathering-hunting patterns, tend to be egalitarian and lack formal political structure. On the other hand, states, often connected with industrialism or intensive agriculture, feature centralized political systems and are capable of supporting large populations through diverse subsistence methods.
Among acephalous societies, such as bands and tribes, leadership and decision-making are typically more decentralized and based on kinship or council arrangements. In contrast, centralized societies like chiefdoms and states have formal leadership roles and bureaucratic institutions to manage resources and organize labor. Service's typology demonstrates an evolutionary approach to understanding the patterns of social development, which correlates to the societies' subsistence strategies.