### p60 collecting taxes is cheaper than controlling labor forces > The Teotihuacan economy was undoubtedly based on agriculture but craft production and long distance exchange, particularly of obsidian products, were also major factors. Teotihuacan elites stood to gain more surplus by allowing producers some control of production levels, thus significantly reducing administrative costs. Simply collecting surplus by taxation or tribute eliminates a great deal of the expensive bureaucratic apparatus required to control large labor forces - [[Domestic Storage Behavior in Mesoamerica#p60 collecting taxes is cheaper than controlling labor forces|View in Vault]] - [n] [[Teotihuacan]] is a city that predates the Aztecs. See also: [This discussion](https://twitter.com/roddick_a/status/1492169955026026500) with [[Andrew Roddick]]. - relevant for [[2021-10-18 Taxes]] & [[2022.05.18a Weird taxes pressure public policy]] - [I] related:: [[a leader can be too effective at collecting taxes]]