Anarchy is the absence of government . It may also refer to a country that has no government. For instance, since 1991, the nation of Somalia has had no effective central government, and so it is sometimes called an anarchy. Many early societies also existed under anarchy.
Anarchy is often associated with lawlessness and disorder. But many anarchic environments have rules and display order. Government is not the only source of rules and order. Private institutions, which include social customs, also impose rules and order. For instance, no government compels its citizens to greet new acquaintances with a handshake. Yet, in many societies, new acquaintances greet one another in this way. The unwritten rule that dictates shaking the hand of a new acquaintance is an example of a social custom . A wide variety of customs, from what “theft” means to how individuals handle disputes, emerge in anarchy to govern conduct between individuals and promote order.
Because there is no government in anarchy, rules established by private institutions must also be enforced privately. One common established practice for this purpose is ostracism. Members of a group may _ostracize—_that is, banish, shut out, or boycott—rule breakers by refusing to interact with them personally or commercially. The threat of such punishment encourages individuals in anarchy to follow social rules.
Another private institution of rule enforcement sometimes found in anarchy is private courts. Private courts resolve conflicts and deliver judgments in anarchic environments, much as public courts do in environments that have governments. Private courts are run by private individuals. For example, private arbitration associations are often used to settle contract disputes between international traders.
Anarchy today is more common on a local level than a national level. For example, it can be found in black markets , such as markets for illegal drugs and prostitution . A black market is the sale or distribution of goods or currency in violation of regulations established by a government. Anarchy can also be found in societies of outlaws, such as those of pirate crews and prison gangs , whose criminal activity prevents them from enjoying government protection.
Anarchy also exists internationally. Because there is no single government for the entire world, interactions between sovereign (independent) nations are not governed by a central institution with formal authority to create or enforce rules.
