We use the word to cover the conduct of public affairs in
any social group more extensive than a family. Hence we refer to village
politics, town politics, national politics, international politics and,
in the present instance, to the politics of civilization as a way of
life.
Each sample, referred to in our examination of typical civilizations,
was built around a center, nucleus or homeland consisting of one or more
cities with their adjacent hinterlands. The nucleus of the developing
civilization was also the nucleus of an empire. Each nucleus was a
center of planned production; accumulating wealth, growing population
and expanding authority. Certain locations are better suited than
others to provide the essentials of a civilization nucleus.
The first requirement for a nucleus is a tolerable climate, primarily a
satisfactory balance between heat and cold. Before the general use of
fire as a source of warmth human populations were concentrated at or
near the tropics. With the increasing use of artificial heating and
lighting human beings were able to cluster farther and farther away from
concentrated equatorial sunlight.
The second requirement of such a location is a strategic position in a
crossroads, in a network of transportation and communication.
The third requirement is a readily available source of the food and
building materials necessary to feed, house, and clothe a community and
provide it with some of the niceties of daily living.
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