A political system is essentially an input output conversion process. Inputs are the demands which arise in the environment. But some inputs come from the rulers and elites of a political system. When they are fed into the conversion process, they turn out as outputs or authoritative decisions and go into the environment Some of them may again return to the political system as feedback, and may thus affect or change the system. Some of the inputs are supports.
As regards the conversion process, Almond has mostly adopted the input output analyst of David Easton. However, he has classified die demands into different kinds. They are (1) Demands for die regulations of behaviour, such as provisions for public safety, control over markets, and rules relating to marriage, health, education, sanitation, etc; (2) Demands few allocation of goods and services, e.g. demands for wages, laws about working hours, educational opportunities, recreational facilities, roads, and transportation; (3) Demands for participation in the political system, e.g., for the right to vote, to hold office, to organise political associations, etc.; (4) Demands for communication and information, such as demands for the communication of policy aims from the policy-making elites, or the display of majesty and power of the political system in times of war threats or on ceremonial occasions and displays.
It may be noted that demands need not come singly. They may unite with each others in various combinations. Moreover, some demands are more intense and urgent than others and will, therefore, be attended to more promptly by the conversion process of the political system.
Supports can also be classified as thus: (1) material supports, such as the payment of taxes and other levies, the provision of services like military service or voluntary labour on certain occasions; (2) obedience to Jaw and regulations; (3) participatory supports, such as voting, political discussions and other forms of political activity; (4) attention paid to governmental communications, and the manifestation of deference and respect to public authority, symbols and ceremonials, e.g. saluting the national flag when it is displayed in the public ceremonies.
Demands and supports are closely related and interdependent. The political system and its elites performing various roles will process the demands effectively, if support is received from the environment and other social systems and from individuals working in die political system.