Which of the following is a key characteristic of a tribe or clan that differentiates it from a nation?

Members share ties of marriage and descent

The correct answer is Option 1 - Members share ties of marriage and descent

Tribes or clans are kinship groups where members are connected through ties of marriage and descent, differentiating them from a nation, where such kinship ties are not necessary.

A nation is not any casual collection of people. At the same time it is also different from other groups or communities found in human society. It is different from the family which is based on face-to-face relationships with each member having direct personal knowledge of the identity and character of others. It is also different from tribes and clans and other kinship groups in which ties of marriage and descent link members to each other so that even if we do not personally know all the members we can, if need be, trace the links that bind them to us. But as a member of a nation we may never come face to face with most of our fellow nationals nor need we share ties of descent with them. Yet nations exist, are lived in and valued by their members.