Which factor is commonly cited as a risk factor for the Thucydides Trap in great power competition?

• A. Power transition
• B. Economic interdependence
• C. Nuclear deterrence
• D. Domestic politics

Answer: (A)

At its core, this concept looks at how shifts in relative power between great powers raise the likelihood of conflict. When a rising power grows capable enough to challenge the reigning state, both actors feel a threat: the ruling power fears loss of position and prestige, while the challenger resents restrictions on its growing influence. Those opposing goals, combined with potential misperceptions and a security dilemma, push toward crisis rather than cooperation. This is why power transition—the moment when the rising power approaches or surpasses the dominant power in capability and influence—is commonly cited as the risk factor in the Thucydides Trap. Other factors like economic interdependence, nuclear deterrence, or domestic politics can influence outcomes, but the structural catalyst described by the trap is the transition of power itself.