It seems every group has it 'leader' and the 'low man' on the totem pole.  

Even in the animal kingdom, there is a 'top dog'. Let a new dog come in and there is a challenge of who is the 'top dog' now. Dogs that aren't penned spend hours marking their territory by 'wetting' on bushes that surround their area.

There is a lot of difference in what happens to all those who are under the 'King" and the other rulers. All that entails makes all the difference in the spirit of a country.