How much power do formal institutions have in our society?

    I think that certain formal institutions have a good bit of power in our society. For example, a church plays a major role in a society or in a neighborhood. Churches can have different organizations going on at many different times. For instance, my church does a lot of cook outs, church plays, youth get togethers, and meetings. I also think that our government plays a big role on our society. Our government is basically our lay out for the laws we have to follow and rules we are governed by. If our government makes a decision, then it affects all of the citizens in our society.