NCoC: Social Capital

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Social Capital

The most powerful force in American democracy is the connection among citizens. NCoC aims to understand how socio-economic and demographic factors, time spent with family, friends, and neighbors, and elements of trust and connectedness affect the process of civic engagement.

NCoC believes to address community issues and challenges in any area, research must be collected, discussion must occur, and solutions must be proposed. Here, you can see research, discussion, and solutions associated with social capital. This is meant to help explain and animate that focus area, as well as facilitate the process of moving from information to action within it.

Social Capital Issues:Research | Discussions | Solutions

Social Capital Research

Title	Date	Type
Let’s Get ConnectedBy John Bridgeland, CEO of Civic EnterprisesAmerica could really use a civics lesson. And it's about to get one. The National Conference on Citizenship, a federally chartered nonprofit founded in 1946 to strengthen civic ties, will release the first ...	September 10, 2006	news
Political Activity And Expression Are RisingSigns of HopePrivate volunteerism is dwarfed by public spending in areas that affect critically the character and provision of important needs. However, government works better and leaders are held more accountable ...	Sep 18th, 2006	civic health index
People Follow The News Less, Although Political Knowledge Seems To Have RisenSigns of HopeThomas Jefferson wrote: “I know of no safe depository of the ultimate power of the society but the people themselves.” This of course depends on people who know enough to be wise holders of ...	Sep 18th, 2006	civic health index
Trust In One Another is DownSigns of Civic DeclineTrust is measured in three ways – with questions as to whether people are viewed as “honest,” as “helpful” and “can be trusted.” Over the last 30 years, social ...	Sep 18th, 2006	civic health index
“Lonely Nation”: People Are Considerably Less Connected To Family And FriendsSigns of Civic DeclineMore than one-fourth of American households (29.8 million of them) consist of just one person, compared with less than one-fifth of American households (13.9 million) in 1975.	Sep 18th, 2006	civic health index
People’s Trust Of & Connection To Major Institutions Are Down, With A Steady Rise From 1994 - 2000Signs of Civic DeclineAmericans’ confidence in major institutions dropped from 1970 to 1993, followed by a partial recovery through 2000 and then another slide. However, people’s trust in the government has rebounded ...	Sep 18th, 2006	civic health index
Appendix I.2: Trusting Other PeopleThe IndicatorsTrust is measured with three indicators. These are survey questions about the honesty, trustworthiness, and helpfulness, generically, of other people. They all show declines, especially the measures of ...	Sep 18th, 2006	civic health index
Appendix I.3: Connecting to Others Through Family and FriendsThe IndicatorsThe decline in Americans’ connections with others is driven by a substantial decrease in the proportion of Americans who say they regularly eat dinner with their families. Visiting friends is more ...	Sep 18th, 2006	civic health index
Appendix I.5: Staying InformedThe IndicatorsOne way to measure being informed on public affairs is simply to ask respondents whether they follow the news or public affairs. We also combine two indicators to obtain a reliable estimate of newspaper ...	Sep 18th, 2006	civic health index
Appendix I.8: Trusting and Feeling Connected to Major InstitutionsThe IndicatorsMost people feel that their own vote matters and think that their own Congressional representative is effective. However, the population is more distrustful when asked various questions about the reliability ...	Sep 18th, 2006	civic health index

Social Capital Discussions and Commentary

Title	Date	Type
Capes + Masks + Tasers = Today’s Neighborhood Watch?The role of a “Citizen Superhero” in fighting crimeHollywood has long been obsessed with superheroes but now sometimes-caped crusaders are meeting us in real life to take on crime in communities. Have neighborhood watch participants evolved into Citizen ...	February 10, 2011	discussion
Can the United States Remain United?Some have said that America’s dynamic is beginning to shift, as communities become more homogenized and the nation becomes more fragmented than ever before. This was a central point of discussion ...	June 23, 2011	event reflection
Power in the Spoken WordPropaganda, Hate Speech, and Civic EngagementIn a world where violence and sorrow often prevail, how do we create an environment where hate cannot flourish? This was a central question for discussion at a leadership summit titled “What You ...	August 8, 2011	discussion
Gerda Weissman Klein: A true story of liberation and becoming American The transcript of a speech given by Holocaust survivor, Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and Citizenship Counts founder Gerda Weissman Klein at the 66th Annual National Conference on Citizenship, ...	October 10, 2011	discussion
The Gardens of DemocracyAn interview with Eric Liu and Nick HanauerEric Liu is an author and speaker who served as a speechwriter and policy advisor to President Bill Clinton. Nick Hanauer is an entrepreneur and venture capitalist. Together, they have authored two books, ...	December 12, 2011	discussion
Dear Shay, What It Means to Be an American...by Josh Fryday (Dad)A letter from father to one-year-old son regarding his rights and responsibilities as an American citizen.	January 13, 2012	op-ed
Discussion: Can Engagement Strengthen the Economy?6 Hypotheses on the Link Between Civic Health and UnemploymentResearch shows a connection between civic health and a community’s ability to weather a recession. We’ve posited 6 hypotheses about why this connection exists, and invite you to join in a discussion.	February 16, 2012	discussion
Civic Engagement and Employment: NCoC Continues the Conversationby Kristi Tate, Director of Community Strategies, NCoC	June 13, 2012	discussion
Public Policy Chat: Mary Ellen ArdounyThis month, NCoC Communications Fellow Alice Murphy talks to Mary Ellen Ardouny about the connection between education, workforce investment, and environmental conservation and what this connection could ...	June 26, 2012	discussion
The Civic Acceleratorby Sara Johnson, Village Capital Program AssociateThis fall, Village Capital in partnership with Points of Light will launch the Civic Accelerator. This twelve-week program is an opportunity for nonprofit and for-profit ventures focused on civic engagement ...	August 9, 2012

Social Capital Solutions

Title	Date	Type
Changing the Status QuoIntentional Succession Planning Through Leadership DevelopmentMany think of succession planning as a one-time process that only occurs when an organization considers how it will continue to thrive after a senior leader moves on. The 2010 American Express NGen Fellows ...	November 3, 2011	publication
Closing the College Completion GapA Guide for Faith CommunitiesA degree beyond high school has become an essential element of opportunity in America and is a proven pathway out of poverty. However, the majority of our nation's young people, especially low-income ...	November 1, 2010	discussion
Providing Authentic Opportunities for Youth Engagement in Local Governmentby Leon AndrewsWhat makes youth civic engagement “authentic?” How can cities move beyond token levels of youth participation in local decision-making toward efforts that truly prepare and empower youth to ...	September 1, 2010	discussion
Civic Engagement and Recent Immigrant Communities“Civic Engagement and Recent Immigrant Communities,” a new guide developed by the National League of Cities, presents local officials with the first steps and directions for efforts toward ...	August 18, 2010	discussion
Creating Spaces for ChangeWorking Toward a “Story of Now” in Civic EngagementCreating Spaces for Change: Working Toward a ”Story of Now” in Civic Engagement , a new report from the Deliberative Democracy Consortium and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, is an attempt to describe ...	April 23, 2010	publication
Funding and Fostering Local DemocracyWhat Philanthropy Should Know about the Emerging Field of Deliberation and Democratic GovernanceAs the philanthropic community grapples with the question of how to support innovative and effective forms of democratic governance, PACE (Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement) has released a guide ...	May 19, 2009	publication