Final answer:
The primary means of distributing goods in a chiefdom is through the system of redistribution, where chiefs collect tribute and agricultural surplus to support government activities, provide for public needs, and maintain social order and military protection.
Step-by-step explanation:
The primary means of distributing goods in a chiefdom is through a system known as redistribution. In this system, economic resources like land, agricultural surplus and trade are controlled by chiefs who hold these resources in public trust. Redistribution occurs as the chiefs collect agricultural surplus and tribute from community members, then use these holdings to support government activities, provide for public feasts, or distribute to those in need. Chiefs also regulate trade and oversee the production of prestige goods, ensuring that these goods flow from the top down to their supporters and further down the hierarchy. They reinforce their authority by controlling essential infrastructure such as roads and irrigation, and they perform community rituals that are imperative for the community's prosperity and agricultural productivity.
In historical and contemporary societies, including the Polynesian Pacific and African Akan chiefdoms, we see the redistribution system at work. High-ranking individuals gained control over natural resources and took responsibility for distributing the goods and services that resulted from communal labor and tribute. This ensured the maintenance of social order and military protection, as well as the creation and maintenance of public works.
Chiefdoms combine coercive forms of economic, political, judicial, military, and religious authority to maintain a hierarchical structure where wealth accumulates at the top and services and goods flow down to community members as part of a social contract.