Individual-Level Evidence for the Causes and Consequences of Social Capital

TLDR

Social capital is the web of cooperative relationships that facilitates resolution of collective action problems and also manifests in individual trust and community involvement. The study tests whether variations in social capital are driven by psychological involvement, cognitive ability, economic resources, and life satisfaction, and how these variations influence confidence in national institutions. Using a latent variable framework, the authors analyze pooled General Social Survey data from 1972–1994, incorporating aggregate contextual data. Civic engagement and interpersonal trust are tightly reciprocally linked, with participation driving trust more strongly than the reverse.

Abstract

Theory: Social capital is the web of cooperative relationships between citizens that facilitates resolution of collection action problems (Coleman 1990; Putnam 1993). Although normally conceived as a property of communities, the reciprocal relationship between community involvement and trust in others is a demonstration of social capital in individual behavior and attitudes. Hypotheses: Variation in social capital can be explained by citizens' psychological involvement with their communities, cognitive abilities, economic resources, and general life satisfaction. This variation affects citizens' confidence in national institutions, beyond specific controls for measures of actual performance. Methods: We analyze the pooled General Social Surveys from 1972 to 1994 in a latent variables framework incorporating aggregate contextual data. Results: Civic engagement and interpersonal trust are in a tight reciprocal relationship, where the connection is stronger from participation to interpersonal trust, rather than the reverse.