Final answer:
The correct characteristic of the Inca civilization is that the emperor owned all the land and people. The Incas employed a labor tax system known as the mita, which included various forms of public service and ensured an egalitarian distribution of resources.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that correctly describes a characteristic of the Inca civilization is B: The Inca emperor owned all the land and people in his empire. The Inca system was highly centralized, with the emperor at the top owning all property and subjects. This structure was integral to the organization of their vast empire, which required labor taxes in the form of the mita from subjects. These taxes were labor contributions where subjects worked on public works projects such as constructing bridges or roads, or providing agricultural labor. Aside from material contributions, these labor taxes also included serving in the military or acting as administrative support.
The Inca emperor, as the head of the state, also led by example, participating in labor himself. The Inca economy was managed in a way that aimed for egalitarian distribution of resources, ensuring that everyone worked and that those in need, such as the sick, were cared for from the state storehouses. This system fostered communal responsibility and unity within the Inca Empire.