-This verse appears twice in Shoftim (Judges).
-Those ignorant, interpret this to mean there was anarchy in the land, this is ridicules.
-What they had was a form of self government.
-Meaning they were on such high levels that their fear of G-D was enough to keep them in order, as opposed to having it enforced by a monarch.
-This period lasted for 369 years until the nation felt themselves unable to handle such a system of society.
-There is no other nation in the world that had a similar run society with same outcome. This is because no other people feared G-D.
-There was a Sanhedrin (central court) but each tribe and family enforced what they held was G-D's will.