Theories of Political Behavior EPI 7: Political Capital and System Support

Описание: In this episode of Theories of Political Behavior, we unpack how the invisible glue of democracy—social capital—shapes political behavior and system support. Starting with Robert Putnam’s classic argument about America “tuning out” ofcivic life, we trace the long decline in associational membership, social trust, and face-to-face politics that left citizens bowling alone instead of together. We then fast-forward to the post-9/11 era, where Thomas Sander andPutnam found a surprising youth civic revival, powered by crisis, new technologies, and the 2008 Obama campaign—but also fractured by widening class divides in who gets to be civically connected.


 


Next, we zoom down to the individual level with John Brehm and Wendy Rahn, who use structural equation modeling to show how participation and interpersonal trust form a feedback loop that underpins confidence in political institutions. Along the way, we explore why TV erodes engagement, why newspapers and certain forms of digital media can build it, and how engagement can simultaneously deepen democratic accountability while lowering trust in government performance.


 


By the end of the episode, listeners will have a working model of how social capital turns into political capital—how our networks, norms, and trust (or lack of them) flow into legitimacy, compliance, and support for democratic institutions. This is a deep dive into why some citizens feel invested in the system while others feel shut out, and what that means for the future of democracy in an age of screens, shocks, and social inequality.


 


This episode was created using the following reference materials:


 


Brehm, John, and Wendy Rahn. “Individual-Level Evidence for the Causes and Consequences of Social Capital.” American Journal of Political Science 41, no. 3 (July 1997): 999–1023.


 


Putnam, Robert D. “Tuning In, Tuning Out: The Strange Disappearance of Social Capital in America.” PS: Political Science and Politics 28, no. 4 (December 1995): 664–683.


 


Sander, Thomas H., and Robert D. Putnam. “Still Bowling Alone? The Post-9/11 Split.” Journal of Democracy 21, no. 1 (2010): 9–16.