Whatever the practice, though, scores of governments have the potential to wield strong monitoring powers over their citizens.
The villages are ruled by khap panchayats, unelected all-male councils that wield strong control over social life, including women's behavior.
The risks appear to be intensified by the weakness of the transitional government, which has yet to appoint important ministers or to wield strong influence, much less control, over the militias.
The report cited restrictions on freedom of expression, torture of prisoners, excessively long pre-arrest detentions, and insufficient civilian control over Turkey's armed forces, which wield strong influence on national policy.
What they have in common is that they have no one reporting to them, yet they make a big contribution and wield strong influence on the success of their firms.
The Global Child Labour Programme has not gained a higher level of recognition or visibility since 1999/2000, which would have allowed it to wield strong influence within the organisation and among partners at the global level.
The union, the United Federation of Teachers, wields strong influence in Albany.
Since Mr. Maliki came to office in 2006, Iraq has edged closer to Iran, which wields strong influence over several Iraqi Shiite parties.
Mr. LaBeouf, whose recent movies include "Lawless" and "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," will play Treat, a petty thief who wields strong control over his younger brother Phillip in their dilapidated Philadelphia row house.
