what are the people doing to america’s democracy a quick review: what would the founders think of...

WHAT ARE THE PEOPLE DOING TO AMERICA’S DEMOCRACY

A quick review: What would the Founders think of what American democracy looked like by the 1960s? (television brings everyone in, civil liberties, the civil rights movement and the transformation of American politics, women’s rights, primaries, referenda and initiatives, & the end of political machines as mainstream)

What are the main questions we’ll address in this unit?• Why don’t Americans care more about others? Why is political

capital declining over time?• Why don’t Americans know more about politics?• Why don’t many Americans participate in politics?• Is there some other way to achieve accountability other than govt.

checking itself or the people doing so?• Can the American campaigns and our electoral system bail us out?• Can parties, the media, or interest groups protect us?

WHAT IS SOCIAL CAPITAL AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?What is social capital? • What is capital?• Trust, reciprocity, social networks, civic knowledge, civic obligation• How do you build social capital? The importance of groups• Does belonging to just any group work? Bridging vs. bonding social

capitalWhy might social capital matter for democracy?• Transferable skills• Caring for the common good and political participation• Lower trust produces cynicism and other negative behaviors? Murder

rates, tax evasion, fist fights, and blood donation • Tolerance for others who aren’t like us• Social capital decreases need for intrusive state• Why the American paradox: more education yet less support for

politics

MURDER RATES

SCHOOL PERFORMANCE

SCHOOL PERFORMANCE

The bigger picture: Think about causality

WHAT’S THE EVIDENCE THAT MORE AMERICANS ARE “BOWLING ALONE”?

• What is the evidence that we participate in groups any more? Social groups, unions, PTA

• Is there any counter evidence? Churches (good)• Another paradox: there are more formal groups than ever

before (Good and bad)• There are several problems with on-line communities from a

social capital perspective– Bridging groups most on the decline– Moderates dropping out of organizations

• Who is bowling alone?– College students: putting me first (even though they volunteer more

than ever before)– Everybody else putting me first: Social order, flipping people off, and

stop signs

College students, UCLA data

College students, UCLA data

WHY ARE WE “BOWLING ALONE”?

• Life as a spectator sport: Politics and reality as part of a larger trend

• Television and computers• Generational changes: Are things going down hill or was the

WW2 generation just “great”?• Women’s rights and the consumer revolution• Globalization, productivity and workplace changes• Sprawl and urbanization• Mass marketing and consumerism

Tv And social capital