The power that the ruling class has over institutions of authority gives them the ability to use that power to transfer income and wealth from some to others. It enables them to transfer control over resources from the masses to themselves and to transfer resources among the masses to preserve their positions in the political hierarchy by buying support. The ability of the political class to redistribute is the direct result of their control over institutions of authority. Despite the coercive institutions that enforce redistribution, citizens generally view it as a legitimate function of government, and those citizen views are supported by academic arguments that it enhances social welfare. The chapter analyzes this interaction between citizen opinion and academic support for government redistribution.