Robert Putnam suggests that social capital includes both individual and collective components. 15 Its presence enables individuals to form connections that benet the collective interests of the community. Individuals form networks of mutual obligations or “generalized reciprocity” via interactions with a diverse group of people.

The survey data reported below doesn't measure social capital directly, but instead feature indicators often treated by the literature as components of social capital known to correlate with its ancillary features, including trust. The first measurement is group membership, which gauges active, voluntary leadership in various types of associations. These groups have long been viewed as the building blocks of American civil society.

Group members are classied as those who belong to at least one group or attend a meeting at least once a month. Group leaders are participants who hold ofces or committee memberships. associations, church membership, and service or civic associations.