Final answer:
The term you are looking for is 'Chiefdom', which describes a system of political organization prominent in various pre-colonial pacific island societies. Here the chief, an influential leader, redistributes resources to provide communal benefits while also amassing wealth and influence. However, power dynamics in such cultures, also alluded to the role of the 'big man', often revolved around fairness, generosity, and wisdom rather than outright authoritarian control.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept being referred to here is known as Chiefdom, found in many of the Pacific islands and other regions with pre-colonial era chiefly societies, such as Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, and Tonga. Chiefdoms are multiple communities led by a single leader - the chief - who has the ability to redistribute resources and amass wealth for communal benefits. Chiefs gain prestige through redistribution of wealth, command over labour particularly in agricultural societies, and also, prestigious public works.
In essence, under this system, tribute flowed upwards from commoners to elites in the form of labour, food, and other goods, and in return, communal infrastructure, protection, conflict resolution, and social order flowed downwards from the elites to the commoners, establishing a system of redistribution. This transformed political leaders into the central points of wealth concentration which were then used to provide communities with government benefits.
However, the chief's power was not necessarily absolute or authoritarian. Some societies also valued the big man role, where influence was won through wisdom, fairness, and acts of generosity rather than formal power or coerciveness.
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