Final answer:
In ancient Egypt, a bureaucratic class was developed, which was responsible for taxation and planning public works. This bureaucratic system was part of a command economy, where wealth led to political and religious power, creating social stratification. The bureaucracy played a pivotal role in resource management, especially in projects like the construction of pyramids.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ancient Egyptian economy saw the development of a bureaucratic class that had the authority to tax economic activities and plan public works. This class system was essential for the administration of resources, especially during times of major projects such as pyramid building in the Old Kingdom. The bureaucracy was an integral part of the 'command economy' that characterized Egypt at that time. It emerged during the powerful reign of dynasties that managed the unified state of Egypt, differentiated from the palace/temple redistributive systems in ancient Sumer. In this command economy, wealth and social stratification formed, and the bureaucracy, including a caste of scribes, acquired significant administrative and political power.
Pyramid building, for instance, necessitated the growth of this bureaucratic system since the king's authority extended to almost all aspects of life, including requisitioning resources and mobilizing labor. Despite the absence of currency, scribes and officials were often compensated with fiefs or lands that were temporary and reverted back to royal holdings after an official's death. The New Kingdom witnessed a more structured and expansive bureaucratic empire, where the vizier, a royal official, exerted considerable control over the functioning of the entire administrative system.