polity
n.a group of people who are ruled by a specific government or system. It can also mean a specific way of organizing a society or a country.
n.a body of people living under a particular form of government; a political system or social order.
“The ancient city was a small polity with its own laws.”
“Scholars often study the transition from a small polity to a larger, centralized state.”
“The historian argues that the stability of the polity depends less on the strength of the leader than on the shared cultural values of the citizenry.”
From Middle French politie, from Latin polītīa, from Ancient Greek πολιτεία (politeía, “polity, policy, the state”). Doublet of police, policy, and polis (“police”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.