Social control refers to the processes by which groups maintain orderly behavior among members. In small-scale societies, social control is informal and based primarily on norms, while larger societies rely more on formal laws and codified punishments. As societies transition from small-scale to states, social control shifts from an emphasis on status to a contractual relationship with the state governed by laws. Formal legal systems in states include policing, courts, and harsher punishments such as imprisonment and capital punishment, which are meant to enforce laws through threat of sanction. However, state social control systems also reflect biases and political aims.