Final answer:
The social and political organization within North American tribes was primarily established around chiefdoms. Here, the economic, political, religious, and military power is centralized in the chief's position. Despite the existence of other social structures like clans and states, the chiefdom remained a significant structure for many Native American cultures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The social and political organization of North American tribes primarily depended on chiefdoms, making option (c) the correct answer. The Native Americans, particularly those east of the Mississippi, were organized into small autonomous groups or tribal units. These tribes were generally not unified, often engaging in warfare to extend hunting and fishing territories.
These Native American societies significantly differed from empires, which are indivisible organizations with stable borders. Chiefdoms are forms of political organization found globally. In a chiefdom, domain like economic, political, religious, and military power are centralized in the chief's position.
Though native cultures differ widely, for many, chiefdom served as their fundamental structure of political organization. Other societal forms such as clans and states often exist within these cultures, but the role of the chief remained crucial.
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