How did the political structure of the Aztec culture differ from that of Mississippian culture?

The political structure of the Aztec culture was characterized by a complex, hierarchically organized state with multiple city-states known as altepetl, which operated under the overarching authority of the Aztec Empire. Each altepetl maintained a significant degree of self-governance but was united under the empire’s central leadership, which enabled the Aztecs to manage a vast territory comprising numerous regions. This contrasts with Mississippian culture, which lacked a centralized political system and was instead organized into smaller, less hierarchical chiefdoms that functioned independently of each other.

The idea of multiple regions for governance is critical in understanding the Aztec's political complexity, as they engaged in extensive tribute systems and military conquests that integrated various peoples and cultures under their rule. This political structure allowed for a rich, diverse societal framework that linked various regions through trade, warfare, and alliances. The Mississippian cultures, on the other hand, were often centered around individual mound-building societies with local rulers, which did not create the same level of centralized political control seen in the Aztec Empire.