Page "Social capital" Paragraph 19

According to Robert Putnam, social capital " refers to the collective value of all ' social networks ' and the inclinations that arise from these networks to do things for each other.

" According to Putnam and his followers, social capital is a key component to building and maintaining democracy.

Putnam says that social capital is declining in the United States.

This is seen in lower levels of trust in government and lower levels of civic participation.

Putnam also says that television and urban sprawl have had a significant role in making America far less ' connected '.

Putnam believes that social capital can be measured by the amount of trust and " reciprocity " in a community or between individuals.