Final answer:
Members of society may submit to institutionalized power due to a variety of sociological and anthropological factors, including belief in the legitimacy of the power, societal influence, fear, and the pressures of external threats, population growth, and social stratification.
Step-by-step explanation:
Reasons noted in various texts for why members of a given society may submit to institutionalized power include various dynamics. For instance, some may adhere to the authority of institutionalized religion, civil or political institutions out of belief that it is right or due to socialization processes.
Institutional religion sometimes legitimizes oppression and socializes its followers into assimilating or facing consequences. People may submit to institutional power due to fear, desire for stability, or belief in its legitimacy. Societies may also develop ideologies and systems of hegemony to support social order and centralized rule.
Furthermore, as societies grow and become more complex, they generally move from informal consensus-based decision-making to more centralized forms of governance where leaders have formal, hereditary roles. This shift may come about due to a variety of pressures such as population growth, social stratification, and external threats. The legitimate power exerted by institutions is therefore often based upon the support of people, without which these institutions cannot operate effectively.