A1 Kinship intensity transition

Topic

The transition in kinship intensity—a trajectory that profoundly shapes *Inequality* and, to a lesser extent, *Population* and *Power*—occurs when the mechanism for recruiting individuals to positions of authority and trust undergoes a sustained, widespread shift: moving either from a merit-based, impersonal system to one rooted in clan loyalty, or vice versa. As long as the recruitment mechanism for these positions remains constant, society stays within the same tier of kinship intensity.

What triggers a transition in kinship intensity is the persistence of this shift in recruitment mechanisms beyond a single political cycle or generation; a fleeting move toward clan loyalty—or toward merit and impersonality—within a single political cycle is insufficient. It is the persistence of the change in recruitment, rather than its isolated occurrence, that distinguishes a kinship intensity transition from a reversible anomaly within the same tier.

This distinction—between a reversible anomaly within a tier and a transition in kinship intensity that persists beyond a political cycle or generation—marks the boundary between a temporary shift in recruitment mechanisms and a genuine change of tier. Only when the recruitment mechanism ceases to revert to its previous form does society become established in a new tier of kinship intensity. Recognizing this in a timely manner is particularly important because the kinship intensity trajectory profoundly impacts *Inequality*—and partially affects *Population* and *Power*—whenever that trajectory shifts to a new tier.

ID:4671