Social Capital ,Civic Society Social Capital ,Civic Society & Democracy

Making Democracies Work

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Key issuesKey issues

I. What is Putnam’s theory of social capital?p

II. What is the evidenceIn Italy?In the US?Worldwide?

III What are the implications for civic III. What are the implications for civic engagement and development in new democracies?

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Putnam’s workPutnam s work

Making Democracy Work (1993) - Italy“Bowling Alone” 1995 Jnl of Democracyg yThe strange disappearance of civic America (online)“ ” “Tuning In & Tuning Out” 1996 PSDisaffected Democracies (2000)B li Al (2000)Bowling Alone (2000)Democracies in Flux (2002)

ldb k / t /s it lwww.worldbank.org/poverty/scapital

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ConceptsConcepts

What is social capital?What is social trust?What is social trust?What is civic engagement?

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Social CapitalSocial Capital

“Features of social life – networks, norms and trust – that enable norms, and trust that enable participants to act together more effectively to pursue shared effectively to pursue shared objectives.”Capacity buildingCapacity building

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Theoretical claimsTheoretical claims

1) Social capital has significant consequences for societal cooperation,

di ti d ll b ticoordination and collaboration2) Social capital has significant

consequences for democratic governanceconsequences for democratic governance3) Social capital explains variations in

performance if Italian regional p f f ggovernment

4) Social capital has declined in postwar A i ( d l h ?)America (and elsewhere?)

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Theoretical frameworkTheoretical framework

Why might social networks and social trust relate to good governance?trust relate to good governance?

Social trust

Social

Civic engagement

Accountable representative

democracy

Better policy

outputs?Social networks

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Political t st?trust?

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Problems of measurementProblems of measurement

Formal association membershipPoor recordsLevels of membership or activism?Systematic bias towards bureaucratic organizations

Structural not cultural dimensionsStructural not cultural dimensionsNetworks not informal bonds – trade-off?Function of groups matters: bonding or bridging

Individual or diffuse level effectsContextually-specific social relations – diffuse level effects effects

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Civic EngagementCivic Engagement

“People’s connections with the life of their communities not merely with their communities, not merely with politics”

Measures e g long-term trends inMeasures e.g. long term trends inReferendum turnoutNewspaper readershipCultural/sports club membershipCultural/sports club membershipTrade union membership

It li R i l G tItalian Regional Government

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Italian regional governmentItalian regional government

12 1.Evidence? What makes government work?

Italian regional governmentEconomic modernization?Economic modernization?The civic community?

Civic engagementHorizontal social/cultural associationsHonesty, social trust, law-abidingnessPublic interest not patron-client

13Measures of effective governance

Making democracy work: Italian regional governmentCabinet stabilityB d t tBudget promptnessInformation servicesReform legislationL i l i i iLegislative innovationDay careFamily clinicsIndustrial policyAgricultural spendingLocal health spendingHousing developmentBureaucratic responsiveness

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Emilia-Romagna

C l b iCalabria

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What are the implications?What are the implications?

For good governance?Can social capital be created/ Can social capital be created/ strengthened?C d b t i d i l Can democracy be sustained in low trust societies?

End

Next class: Bowling Alone