Polity is a term used to refer to the form of GOVERNMENT or the political system of a country. The term can be broken down into three parts: COMMONWEALTH, GOVERNMENT, and LINE. COMMONWEALTH refers to a group of nations that are united by a common history, language, or culture. GOVERNMENT is the system of laws and institutions that regulate the affairs of a state or nation. LINE is a term used to describe the way in which power is distributed within a GOVERNMENT. Together, these three terms form the concept of polity, which is the way in which a state or nation is organized politically.