Individuals in agrarian societies are attached to the land, so those who control the land control the people who work it. Control over land was gained through military power, which gave them political power. Their control over land also gave them economic power, so political and economic power were held by the same people. This produced a feudal system of governance, and coordination among individuals was accomplished more by control than by voluntary cooperation. Those who held power used it to maintain their positions in the hierarchy of power. Political motives dominated economic motives, so agrarian societies are characterized by stagnation rather than progress. Because it is difficult for people to exit an agrarian society, rulers have more authoritarian political control.