bettertogether report 2nd 1/3

8/14/2019 BetterTogether report 2nd 1/3

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ettertogethethe report of the saguaro seminar: civic engagement in ameri

reprint of 2000 report ith ne introd ction


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reprint of 2000 report with new introduction

american success built by

doingtogetherThe examples on the facing page represent America at its best:

a nation of helpers, joiners, and good citizens bent on building

community in a big, diverse, modern nation. Notwithstandingits reputation as a land of rugged individualists and cutthroat

capitalists, America throughout its history has been exceptionally

civic-minded by any standard. We are a nation rich in social

capital,which we define as social networks and the norms of

reciprocity and trustworthiness that arise from them.i Americans

have a remarkable proclivity to reach out to one another, to lend

a hand to others in need, and to organize groups to advance the

commonweal. This ability has earned the respect and admiration

of international observers at least since Alexis de Tocquevilles

famous insight in the 1830s that Americans of all ages, all

conditions, and all dispositions constantly form associations.ii

In Kentucky, an educational advocacy groupcalledthe Prichard Committee trains parents across

the state to be civic leaders in their childrens

schools. The parents learn how to run meetings,

analyze information, prepare agendas, and, most

importantly, recruit other parents to get involved.

In an Ann Arbor,Michigan, neighborhood,fouryoung couples decide to get together every Tuesday

night for dinner and conversation,rotating the cook-

ing and cleaning responsibilities. A few months

after its inception, this supper club evolves into the

neighborhoods unofficial organizing committee,

sponsoring block parties,movie outings and other

social affairs.

In Washington, D.C., a non-profitis assembling a group of 125 emerging l

40 years old who have begun making a

the capital city.These leaders contribut

from public education to crime reduct

yet been fully recognized by local founda

or leadership programs.But under the a

18-month leadership program spons

nonprofit Local Initiative Support T

Education Network (LISTEN ), these

entrepreneurs will form friendships

ships with one another and,it is hoped

Washingtons next generation of civic

In state capitals across the couprofit job-training and civic-education

as YouthBuild holds advocacy daysfo

advantaged adults. These young peopstate and federal legislators to discu

affecting the young people and their c

One advocacy day participant, lea

Senators office, summarized his firs

experience withciv ic participation: To

ed years dealing drugs when I could

doing this telling legislators what ma

Oklahoma MetaFund, a virtual communitydevelopment corporation, serves as a connector and

broker,linking civic leaders in counties statewide with

bankers who will provide start-up capital for eco-

nomic development projects, including micro-busi-

nesses in the civic leaders communities. The

founders created the fund in the recognition that, in

forging a prosperous community,who m you know

your social network - matters more than what

you know.

From Tucson,Arizona, to Eastport,Maine,the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange works with local

arts organizations and community residents to

produce evening-length dance performances to cel-

ebrate community resiliency in the face of difficult

times. Besides dance, the Hallelujah projects

involve singing, storytelling, and local conversa-

tions about the importance of working together for

the good of all.


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N o w, more than ever, we need one anothers strength and compassion. Through our

of connection with others, we can collectively form a living memorial that honors t

who have and those who may give their lives those who rushed into burning skyscrap

those who confronted hijackers and forced a plane to the ground; those who fell victi

bioterrorism; those caught so unaware at their Pentagon desks that awful morning

September 11; and the innocents that may perish in future acts of terrorist vengea

community hopin a dark er


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The landscape of American civic life is vastly different today than in December of 2000, when we first issued our

B e t t e r t o g e t h e r r e p o r t .

Terrorists have since struck at every d ay features of our lives office buildings, a i r p l a n e s , mail delivery coating our daily

rituals with vulnerab i l i t y. Millions of America ns are re-examining their life goals, priorities and practices through the new

lens of lifes impermanence. We understand our interdependency at the block level and the global level in ways only dimly

grasped befo r e .

Evidence of civic change ab o u n d s . More Americans now trust government than at any time since 1966. P e r h aps this was

forged by witnessing visible a cts of breathtaking heroism: the only group known to be running up the stairs when the Wo r l d

Trade Centers were collapsing were public servants New York City r escue workers. And even when handling mail became

a frightening experience for many, U . S . Postal Service workers have refused to abandon their posts.

Blood donations in the immediate aftermath of September 11 were two to three times normal levels so much blood was

d o n at e d , in fact, t h at much of it had to be used for plasma when the bloods expiration date neared. Americans donat e d

r o u g h ly $760 million to charities for vi ctims of terrorist attacks by November 2001. And some of our civic habits changed.

S e attle residents rallied to become mosque watchers and cel ebrate the patriotism of their Muslim neighbors. And all across

the U.S., in coffee shops, on airplanes, in shopping malls, Americans started looking one another in the eye and asking,

s i m p ly, How are you?

But will this civic revival persist? As Robert D. P u t n a m s Op-Ed in The New Yor k Ti m e s , reprinted on page 8, makes clear, d i s-

asters alw ays usher in civic spirit, but this civic interest usually fades. For example, two years after the bombing of the A l f r e d

P. Murrah federal building, the remarkable civic unity in Oklahoma City began to fray as cleav ages across social class and

sexual orientation re-emerged,a nd old habits of civic disengagement and social isolation reasserted themselves.

So too today, there is already s o m e evidence that the civic spike may be waning. Blood donations by October 2001 were

below October 2000 l evels and some experts feared blood shortag e s . The economic downturn may be corroding our early

impulses to donate money.

Against this backdrop of short civic spikes, the bombing of Pearl Harbor was a notable counter-example; it launched the

gr e atest generat i o n because Americans organized scrap drives and V i c t o ry Gardens and introduced hitchhiking and civil ian

defense in response to perils. The lessons of World War II thus suggest that in this case, unless we change our daily civic

p r a c t i c e s ,the impact of the compelling images from September 11 like planes hitting skyscrapers may be short-lived.

S o , b eyond giving blood and sending money to funds for the victims, in what ways can we, as citizens, show our unity,

strengthen our communities and better prepare ourselves for life in these uncertain times? A ny gut reaction to hunker down

and cocoon, if this isolates us from our friends and families, is exactly wrong: the best thing we can do now is reach out

to strengthen the bonds of friendship, and of community,upon which we a ll depend.

To the lis t of stra t e gies in the Bettertogetherreport we add a few ideas focused on our current civic environment. Both insti-

tutional response by non-profit organizations or government and individual action are needed; we provide a sampling of

both sorts of ideas depending on your proclivity and the resources at your command.

N o t ab ly, the government has already wisely cal led for action. We commend the Bush A d m i n i s t r at i o n s comments in the 2002

S t ate of the Union A d d r e s s :President Ge orge W. Bush praised Americans post-September 11 for thinking less of goods they

could accumulat e , and more about the good we can do; and he noted that we have been offered a unique opportunity, a n d

we must not let this moment pass.

To seize the opportunity,President Bush called for i ndividual responses like all Americans volunteering two y ears wort

their lifetimes and governmental action. Bush is seeking increased funding for neighborhood watch gr o u p s , and ho

double the Peace Corps and send corps members to Afghanistan to rebuild the war-torn country. He has called

increase in our national service progr a m , involving national service members (through the USA Freedom Corps) in pro

homeland defense. While the proposed increase in AmeriCorps is much smaller than the quintupling called for by Se

McCain and Bay h , it is a laudable first step, and we encourage the A d mi n i st ration to build on it. Mo r eo ve r, r eli gious and s

groups could augment these national service opportunities for full-time youth community work. In a time when more

n at i o n s youth are asking how they can help, we should call large numbers of them to service and provide meaningfu

for them to accomplish.

In addition to what the A d m i n i s t r ation is doing, there are other important ideas for institutional responses we might m

1 . 9-11 Vo l u n t e e r s .

All non-profits should appoint at least one 9-11 Vo l u n t e e r p o s i t i o n : a position meeting local needs and strengthening

c o m m u n i t i e s . These positions s hould be able to be met by a combination of volunteer help or by paid staff : for exa

a position providing literacy training for im migr a n t s . Needs for such 9-11 volunteers should be advertised wide

p atriotic Americans should offer their volunteer time to fill these positions or offer their financial support to hire staff to

such positions.

2 . G overnment and civic grou ps employing citizens to provide civil defen se.

Some of the new national service volunteers that President Bush and others have called for could be trained to guard n

power plants,protect the flow of goods, safeguard our nat i on s communication systems,monitor the flow of traffic and p

through airports and across U.S. b o r d e r s , d i s s e m i n ate public health info r m at i o n, or provide disaster relief.But civil de

e fforts should not be limited to AmeriCorps participants. In World War II, the Civilian Defense Corps enlisted 12

Americans in mid-1943 in civil defense. For example, in Chicag o , 16,000 block captains took an oath of allegiance i n a

c e r e m o ny; volunteers practiced first aid, s u p e rvised blackouts, and planned gas decontaminat i o n . We should find

opportunities for every d ay private citizens to play an active role in making our communities safe and healthy.

3 . A spark for Civics Education.

A poll that we did in October and November 2001 showed that younger Americans post-attacks showed gr e ater ga

interest in politics and respect for government than their older cohorts. While we didnt poll secondary school studen

terrorist attacks may prove a helpful starter culture towards interesting a new generation of Americans in learning the

v a l u e s , and a ttitudes needed to be engaged A m e r i c a n s . But mere interest is not enough. Schools nationwide have lau

p atriotic grassroots efforts to recite the Pledge of A l l e gi a n c e in classrooms, but we need a deeper response. School le

should seize this opportunity to undertake much broader, more relevant and h i p p e r civics education for students.

u n d e r foot to develop the best civics programs are discussed in our Youth and Social Cap i t a l c h ap t e r.

4 . Utilizing the workplace as a civic fulcrum.

The terrorist attacks were the straw that broke our economic back, but they have also exposed the central rol

workplaces can play in efforts to rebuild community,while they rebuild economically.Businesses have realized that me

s e rvices for employees who perished or conversations among employees about how they are coping can stren

community and company alike. But this may also be a golden opportunity for businesses to consider how they can be

c at a ly s t . Our Workplace and Social C ap i t a l c h apter suggests how workplace reform can ensure that e mployees are en

in their organizat i o n , families a n d c o m m u n i t i e s , and how the workplace could become a center for teaching emp

critical civic skills.

5 . Sacrifice to make us all stro n g e r.

The President and civic leaders should ask us to sacrifice personally so as to strengthen us collectively. For exa

A m e r i c a s leaders have agreed for years that we are overly dependent on foreign oil, regardless of their views about

East politics and governments.Some laudable actions to reduce energy dependence (like lo wering ones thermostat or

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a more energy - e fficient car) dont increase our community connections. But leaders should a sk us to help reduce this

dependence and increase social interaction by agreeing to carpool, taking public transportation with others whenever possible,

or walking more frequently and stopping to talk to others on the way. We should be asked to find opportunities to consume

less by lending goods to or swapping goods with friends and neighbors. Leaders should ask each of us to set an example

and share with others the actions we are taking.

6 . Spotlighting and popularizing civic engagement.

For example, we could reinvigorate blood donations if national l eaders set s t r e t c h d o n ation goals a nd recruited nat i o n a l

leaders and heroes to publicly give blood biannually. S i m i l a r ly, civic and government leaders, by visiting shining civi c examples

t h at others could emul ate , by referencing contemporary civic heroes in talks,and by giving civic aw a r d s, can sculpt the contours

of American civic gr e atness and challenge Americans to live these ideals.

But individuals can also have significant impact,if they:

1 . Find Ways to get connected or stay connected.

Scientific studies demonstrate that connecting with others socially makes you less prone to depression and more likely to

lead a satisfying l ife. S o :

Reduce TV viewing and spend more time talking with others.

If you are religi o u s , attend your house of worship more frequently and discuss with your congregants your fears and what

you could do to allay them.

Convene your work colleagues to share your experiences and what coping strat e gies are working or not.

Join or re-join a group whether this is a lo cal bowling leag u e ,a Parent Teacher A s s o c i at i o n ,or something else.

If you want to form a neighborhood gr o u p ,the Global Action Project has a good program called the L i v able Neighborhood

P r o gr a m showing how you can engage your neighbors . [see http://www. g l o b a l a c t i o n p l a n . o r g / F i l e s / L N P F ly e r 3 a . p d f ]

And finall y a few observ at i o n s :a) in your interactions with others, r e p e at encounters are much better for your health and

your communitys collective health than one-off meetings; and b) look for ways to r e c y c l e social ties into new contexts

for example, using parents from a soccer league to start a volunteer project, or encouraging members of a book gr o u p

to become politically engag e d .

2 . D e m o n s t rate solidarity with their brothers and s isters.

It is especially important in these times for all Americans to s how their solidarity, uniting A r ab-Americans with non-Arabs and

joining Muslims with C hristians, J e w s , B u d d h i s t s ,and Hindus.

Too many Americans are ignorant of some basic facts: fewer than a mill ion of the 6. 5 million Muslims in the U.S. are A r ab s .

And roughly 80% of the 3.5 mill ion A r ab-Americans in the U.S. are Christian, not Muslim. T h at said, the Koran deplores the

taking of life, and only extremist Muslims believe that terrorism is justified in a h o ly war that they have declared.

How can you help forge this inter- r e l i gious and inter-ethnic solidarity?

E n c o u r age your house of worship to plan inter-faith events with other houses of worship (convening co ngr e g ations that

l a r g e ly draw different race worshippers or worshippers of fundamentally different faiths).

Stand up if you see anyone treated disrespectfully.

In your meetings with others: 1) strive to bridge cleav ages in our society, like race, i n c o m e , or religion; 2) set gr o u n d

rules that agree to respect differing viewpoints, and when you do disagr e e , avoid making it personal; 3) seek to under-

stand before judging; 4) figure out what you want to learn more about; 5) observe what others want before building any

joint ag e n d a .

And if you are not Muslim or not A r ab - A m e r i c a n :

Patroniz e s tores owned by Muslims or A r ab - A m e r i c a n s .

Offer at a local mosque (if there is one) to accompany anyone who feels uncomfo r t able walking in public.

Provide protection for a local mosque that has been the target of vandalism. Members of the Watchful Eyes pro

S e attle picnicked in front of the mosque with lawn chairs, and waved American fl ags in a show of support.

3 . Discuss the terrorist attack s with others and consider joint action.

Study Circles Facing the Futurehas a free, high-quality discussion guide for those who want to discuss these issue

explore how to ease collective fears,address root causes of the conflict or educate others. The Guide is not very explicit

w h at action the groups should take; they hope that local groups will fo r m u l ate their own responses. [see http://www.

c i r c l e s . o r g / p ag e s / a m e r i c a r e s p o n d s . h t m l ]

4 . P re p a re for terro r i s m .

While none of us know what the next day, m o n t h , year or decade holds, we do know that we are much more depe

on others goodwill than we were prior to September 11. Whether it is depending on other passengers to quell an

disturbance or depending on office co-workers to help us down steps, we need to start developing better ties with

Americans in all settings so that we are able to overcome any adversity together. Your action can inspire others. M

commitment this year to meet your neighbors (if you dont know them all), meet your seat m ates on planes, buses or

meet your neighbors at outdoor concerts, and meet your office mat e s , or the staff o f organizations that work nearby.

5 . Mentor or e-mentor children who lost one or both parents in the terrorist attacks.

Express your interest with Big Brother, Big Sister (http://www. bbbsa.org/) or the Digital Heroes Program (http:/

m e n t o r i n g . o r g ) , or some of the online mentoring groups like Mentori ng.org (http://w ww. m e n t o r i n g . o r g / c o m m o n / o

m e n t o r i n g / o n l i n e _ p r o gram_opti ons.adp) or Youth Trust ( www.youthtru st.org/e- mentorin g.html) or, for those in the New

Metro a rea, iMentor (www. i m e n t o r.o r g ) . If these organizations report that victims of the terrorist attacks are already car

o ffer to mentor another young person who needs your help.

6 . Emulate the Eleventh Day Heroes Pro g ra m .

A high school in Madison, N e b r a s k a , outside of Omaha, is spending the eleventh day of each month volunteering on

n e e d s , in solidarity with the heroism of rescue workers who helped in New York City in the aftermath of Septemb

Convince your school or your employer to show your unity by volunteering once a month.

E-mail what you are doing to better-t o g e th er- i n [email protected] so we can share these ideas with others.

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a better society ina time of warby robert d.putnam

10.19.2001the new york times

Their involvement was as varied as it was deep. The Civilian Defense Corps grew to 12 million Americans in mid-1943

1.2 million in 1942. In Chicag o , 16,000 block captains in the corps took an oath of allegiance in a mass ceremony

practiced first aid, s u p e rvised blackouts and planned gas decontaminat i o n .N at i o n w i d e ,Red Cross volunteers swelled

million in 1945, from 1.1 million in 1940.By 1943, volunteers at 4,300 civilian-defense volunteer offices were fixing

l u n c h e s ,providing day care and organizing scrap drives.

All these endeavors represented cooperation between the federal government and civic society. Sometimes the gover

m e r e ly offered encouragement and ap p r o v a l , as it did with the victory gardens. Often it played an active role, or eve

prime role. The United States financed the war effort in part through small-denominati on war bonds sold to the general p

not because it was economically efficient Tr e a s u ry Secretary Henry Morgenthau conceded it wasnt but because

importance of weaving the actions of milli ons of Americans together in pursuit of larger national goals.

A m e r i c a s young people,e s p e c i a l ly,were taught practical civic lessons.Over a two-year period,the historian Richard Ling

writes in his book Dont You Know T h er es a War On? eighth graders in Gary, Ind., were especially busy.T h ey sold an av

of $4,000 worth of war stamps a month. T h ey campaigned against buying black-market goods. T h ey took auxiliary fire

police-training courses.T h ey held tin-can drives. And this was just in one m edium-sized Midwestern city.

Such sacrifice was reinforced by popular culture from radio shows to comic strips. All Americans felt they had to do

s h a r e ,t h e r e by enhancing each A m e r i c a n s sense that her commitment and contribution mat t e r e d .As one said later in a

h i s t o ry of the home front: You just felt that the stranger sitting next to you in a restaurant, or someplace, felt the sam

you did about the basic issues.

Society is different now, of course, as is the war we are fighting. Americans have become more transient,and involvem

civic institutions is in decline. The war itself involves far fewer Americans in battle; it creates few material hardships; the e

is largely invisible. N o n e t h e l e s s ,we can take action to ensure that this resurgence o f community involvement continue

Since Sept. 1 1 , we Americans have surprised ourselves in our solidarity. R o u g h ly a quarter of all A m e r i c a n s ,and mor

a third of all New Yo r k e r s , report giving blood in the aftermath of the at t a c k s . Financial donations for the victims and

rescuers have reached almost $1 billion.Attendance at places of worship has increased.

S t i l l , u n d e r n e ath all this mutual concern lies an unsettling question: Will this new mood last?

I believe it can. Even 60 years ag o , civic involvement took hold and flourished only with government support. It was

s p o n t a n e o u s . This is both instructive and reassuring; instructive because it shows that the most selfless civic duties c

be performed without government help, reassuring because it shows us a path toward a more civil society today.

President Bushs recent call to A m e r i c a s children and teenagers to wash cars or rake yards to earn money to bene

children of Afghanistan was well-intentioned.But government can do more. It should urge A m e r i c a s religi ous congr e gto plan i nterfaith services over T h a n k s giving weekend. It should also expand national service programs like A m e r i C o r p

just as those Boy Scouts at filling stations learned firsthand the value of civic life, this new period of crisis can make

us and our children the value of deeper community connections.

CA M B R I D G E , M a s s . The America of six decades ago now seems achingly fa m i l i a r. T h e

attack on Pearl Harbor, like the attacks of Sept. 1 1 , evoked feelings of pride and citizen-

ship as well as anxiety and helplessness in every American. In the days and weeks

following Dec. 7 , 1 9 4 1 , Americans sought meaning and comfort in their communities, j u s t

as we do now. And we can find inspiration in the very institutions and practices they cre-

ated 60 years ago.

A durable community cannot be built on mere images of disaster, however vivid or mem-

o r a b l e . It arises from countless individual acts of concern and solidarity. Te l e v i s i o n

images of ash-covered firefighters cannot create community bonds any more than radio

reports of burning battleships could.

What created the civic community in the United States in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor?

The victory gardens in nearly every o n e s backya r d , the Boy Scouts at filling stations col-

lecting floor mats for scrap rubber, the affordable war bonds, the practice of giving rides

to hitchhiking soldiers and war workers all these taught the greatest generation an

enduring lesson in civic involvement.

O r i gi na l ly pub lished in The New York Ti m e s, October 19,2 0 01 .

9


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americanstuning in

but notturning out

1


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joinin

why worryabout vanishingdinner parties,

bowling leagues,or voters?

a group boostyour life expectancas much a

quitting smokin

1


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1

A Civic Fabric Badly Fraye d

America faces a civic crisis. Once-commonplace activities, such as the dinner parties and community arts

p e r formances shown on the map , are slowly vanishing from the American landscap e . I n c r e a s i n g ly, A m e r i c a n sare withdrawing from communal life, choosing to live alone and play alone. No longer participants, we are

becoming mere observers of our collective destiny.Most Americans see no obvious connection between dinner

parties and the health of American society and democracy.More worrisome is the fact that many Americans fail

to see the connection between political participation and the nat i o n s well being.H o w e v e r,without strong hab i t s

of social and political participat i o n , the worlds longest and most successful experiment in democracy is at risk

of losing the very norms, n e t w o r k s , and institutions of civic life that have made us the most emulated and

respected nation in history.

The reversal of this downward spiral is c ritical to the civic and soci al health of our nat i o n .

and yet,at the dawnof the 21st century


10/16

1every 10 minutesof commuting timecuts allforms

of civic engagementby 10%

Why Social Capital Matters

Research has begun to show how powerfully social cap i t a l , or its abs en c e , a ffects the well being of individuals,

o r g a n i z at i o n s , and nat i o n s . Economics studies demonstrate that social capital makes workers more productive,firms more competitive, and nations more prosperous. P s y c h o l o gical research indicates that abundant social

c apital makes individuals less prone to depression and more inclined to help others. E p i d e m i o l o gical reports

show that social capital dec reases the rate of suicide, c o l d s ,heart at t a c k s , s t r ok e s , and cancer, and improves

individuals ability to fight or recover from illnesses once they have struck. S o c i o l o gy studies suggest that social

c apital reduces crime, juvenile delinquency, t e e n age pregnancy, child ab u s e , welfare dependency, and drug

ab u s e ,and increases student test scores and gr a d u ation rat e s . From political science, we know that extensive

social capital makes government agencies more responsive, e ff i c i e n t , and innovativ e. And from our own personal

experience we know that social capital makes nav i g ating life a whole lot easier: Our friends and family members

cheer us up when were down, bring us chicken soup when were sick, o ffer job leads when were unemployed,

b aby sit our kids when were aw ay, join us at the movies when were bored, give us loans when were broke,

and remember our birthdays even when we forget them.

It is becoming increasingly clear that social capital has an enormous array of practical benefits to individuals

and to communities. W h at is more, social capital has what economists call positive externalities. T h at is,

networks of trust and reciprocity not only benefit those within them, but also those outside them. C o n s e q u e n t ly,

when social capital is depleted, people suffer in clear and measurable way s , and there is a ripple effect bey o n d

a scattering of lonely individuals.Shoring up our stocks of social capi t a l , t h e r e fo r e , represents one of the most

promising approaches for remedying all sorts of social ill s.

Yet the national stockpile of social capital has been seriously depleted over the past 30 years. By virtually every

m e a s u r e ,t o d ay s Americans are more disconnected from one another and from the institutions of civic l ife than

at any time since statistics have been kept. Whether as family members, n e i g h b o r s ,f r i e n d s , or citiz ens, we are

tuning out rather than turning out.


11/16

family dinnerare evaporatin

The Erosion of Social Capital in America

The most familiar example of civic decline is Americans growing refusal to go to the polls. Casting a ballot in national ele

has dropped by roughly 25% since the mid-1960s. There has been an even bigger decline between 30% and 40%

m a ny Americans work for a political party, s e rve as an officer of a club or organizat i o n , s e rve on an organizational commattend a school or community meeting, or attend a political event.iii

Even purely pleasurable get-togethers are becoming increasingly scarce. For example, the number of times per yea

Americans entertain friends at home has dropped by 45% since the mid-1970s,and the fraction of Americans who go to o

homes to socialize has plunged nearly that much since the early 1980s. i v Once-familiar social activities picnicking, p

cards with friends, even hanging out at the neighborhood bar are fast becoming relics of a bygone era. F a m i l i e s , t o

spending less time together than they used to. Parents and their children are about one-third less likely to take vacations tog

w atch television together, or even chat with one another.v In a recent YMCA surv ey, American adolescents said not

enough time together with parents ranked as their top concern. More than four in ten parents said they didnt have e

time to spend with their kids mainly because of work obligat i o n s .vi

Our feelings about one another and about our communal obligations also have changed in distressing ways over the

g e n e r at i o n . O n ly about a third of Americans think most other people can be trusted, down from more than half of A m e

who were trusting in 1960. There has been an equally steep decline since the early 1950s in the belief that America

as honest and m oral as they used to be. These trends are troubling for two important reasons. F i r s t , our perception of

a ffects our will ingness to work a nd socialize together. S e c o n d , and worse, our perceptions may reflect an actual decline in

w o r t h i n e s s . P e r h aps it is no surprise that we are fast building two kinds of walled societies: g ated communities and pris

Americans have become less public-spirited in less visible way s , as well. Even as the number of charitable organization

e x p l o d e d , the fraction of o ur national income contributed to them has shrunk.We are more l ikely to ignore traffic signals a

g e s t i c u l ate rudely at fellow drivers.Americans overwhelmingly believe that our culture has become coarse and uncivil.

What Caused our Civic Decline?

Why has our civi c infrastructure coll ap s e d , b r i n ging our civility down with it? A massive analysis by politi cal scientist

Putnam demonstrates that the single most important cause of the decline in social capital is a major demogr aphic shift.N

an exceptionally civic generation of older Americans is slowing down and dying, and far less civic-minded generations o

Boomers and Baby Busters are taking their place.vi i Other profound and durable social changes have only magnifie

g e n e r ational impact. Entertainment television, a veritable death ray for civic life, has become our primary source of relax

crowding out more sociable leisure-time activities.W omen have poured into the formal labor fo r c e , opening new doors for

but also sapping the neighborhood and voluntary organizations that used to flourish under unpaid female leadership

c o n s u m p t i o n - m a d , booming economy, working professionals with civic leadership ski lls face increasing pressure to wo r

hours and weekends, forcing them to skip school meetings and family dinners.And the proliferation of suburbs and exurbs

their car- focused culture and absence of community spaces, has distanced neighbor from neighbor,all but eliminating the

of casual interactions on which yesterday s small towns and urban neighborhoods thrived.

This steep decline in social cap i ta l , not surprisingly, has affected all of us: B la c k ,W h it e , N ative Am e r ic a n ,L at i n o ,Asian A m

male and female; young and middle-aged; city dweller, s u b u r b a n i t e ,and rural resident; professional and blue-collar emp

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a callto connect

A Call to Connect

As we enter our 225th year, the United States embodies a multitude of contradictions. Americans are both fab u l o u s ly rich and

d esp e rate ly poor; religi ously ebullient yet spiritually empty; civically aging yet demogr ap h i c al ly young. The decline in social cap i t a l

is related in complex ways to these trends, and the need to rebuild social capita l becomes ever more important in light of them.

A m e r i c a s civic culture cannot be restored without deliberate effo r t . We need nothing less than a sustained, broad-based social

movement to restore civic virtue and civic participation in A m e r i c a .F o r t u n at e ly,now is a t ime of unprecedented opportunity fo r

nurturing community.After a decade of economic gr o w t h , and the elimination of the staggering federal deficit, we can confi-

d e n t ly tur n some of our newfound prosperi ty to ci vic, not just ma t er i al, e n d s . The social problems that once seemed intractable

an epidemic of gun violence in the biggest cities and soaring rates of teenage pregnancy, smoking and drug abuse have begun

to recede. Te c h n olo gical innovatio nis occurring at lightning speed, b r i n ging with it new means to connect citizens and to fo s t e r

civic participat i o n .

Even though massive changes in citizens attitudes and behavior will be necessary, starting that process may be far less daunting

than the magnitude of the crisis might sugg e s t .As with financial cap ita l , modest investments in social capital generate impressive

long-run returns. Social capital is self-reinfo r c i n g . Just as a small amount of money becomes a fortune as interest co mpounds

over time, a small investment in social capital creates a virtuous circle in which good deeds beget good deeds.

Americans are famous for facing our problems and going about solving them. Countless individuals and institutions already are

toiling in varying degrees of obscurity to revive communities and to reconnect individuals.We salute these leaders whether

t h ey be the 18-to-32-year-old Generation X social entrepreneurs, who have created a national network of community-serv i c e

corps; or older A m e r i c a n s ,who have brought the national rate of volunteering to its highest l evel in recent memory; or pastors,

who are spearheading massive community-building projects in central cities. America needs to honor and learn from these

e ffo r t s , and to ca rry them out on a much broader scale.

If we are to solve our civic crisis, we will need a wholesale change in the institutions that structure our privat e ,p r o f e s s i o n a l ,s o c i a l ,

and public lives. M a ny of our institutions lack vibrancy and have failed to accommodate changes in the way we l ive our lives.

We need to replace outdated institutions with new, more relevant institutions and to help existing i nstitutions retool for the 21st

c e n t u ry. For example, employers and labor laws still assume that Daddy works while Mommy stays home to tend to domestic

m at t e r s , even though very few families (about 20%) fi t this description any m o r e . S i m i l a r ly, the political establishment assumes

t h at voters want to be polled and pandered to, even when there is ample evidence that they i nstead want visionary, c o u r ag e o u s

leaders who see politics as a truly deliberative and participat o ry process.

To make broad citizen engagement easier and more rewarding, it is up to us, as individuals,to change the organizations with which

we are aff i liat e d .F e d e r a l ,s t at e , and local governments, e m p l o y e r s ,u n i v e r s i t i e s ,m u s e u m s ,h u m a n - s e rvices ag enc i e s ,youth gro u p s ,

s c h o o l s , houses of worship, and even families will have to try new ap p r o a c h e s .

To be sure, the magnitude of necessary change will vary enormously both across and within categories of institutions. S o m e

institutions youth groups and houses of worship,for example already consider the creation of social capital as central to their

m i s s i o n . But even among institutions f or which social capital building is at most a secondary goal government ag e n c i e s ,w o r k-

pla c e s , sc h o o l s , and families,for example we can see remarkable efforts to nurture trust, c onne c t e dne s s ,and civic engage me n t .

Building on these farsighted effo r t s ,we must increase the supply of opportunities for civic engag e m e n t , as well as the demand.

We need not only m o r ecivic engag e m e n t , but a lso b e t t e r civic engag e m e n t . E v e ry institution must m ake building social cap i t a l

a principal goal and core value.


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social capitaa new lens o

the worl

Principles for Building Social Capital

Throughout this report, we offer principles of social capital building to guide institutional leaders. Some of these principl

s p ecia l ly tailore d to specific types of institution s, and they are disc ussed in the next fi ve chap t er s . Here we suggest four prin

t h at are broadly ap p l i c able across categories of organizat i o n s : the Social Capital Impact Principle; the Recycling Princip

B r i d ging Principle; and the C 2 C P r i n c i p l e .

The Social Capital Impact Principle. The frame of social capi t al helps us to see the world afresh. Social capital is not only a res

but it is also a l ens for evaluating in stitutions, p r ogr am s ,and individual behav io r. Looking through a social capital lens, for ex

we see front porches not as an architectural frill, but as an effective strat e gy for building strong, s a f e , f r i e n d ly n eig h b o r

Consistent use of the social capital lens can both prevent civically harmful decisions and guide us toward civically beneficial ch

Much in the way America is developing d iv e r s i t y as a lens for judging the performance of employers in recruiting and ret

w o r k e r s , and environmental impact is factored into judging the wisdom of economic-development projects, we will bec

better place when the social capital impact becomes a standard part of institutional and individual decision-making.

The Recycling Principle. Unlike financial cap i t a l , social capital has an interesting and valuable property: It is not expended

it i s drawn upon. I n s t e a d ,d r awing upon our stocks of social c apital usually generates even more. T h e r e fo r e , as individua

institutional decision-makers,we must imagine innovative ways to r e c y c l e existing stocks of social capital to create new s

of different fo r m s . For example, the political movement for womens suff r age emerged, in part, from non-political literary c

The Bridging Principle. Social capital may be categorized in many way s . One important way is the degree to which the conne

r e i n force similarities among individuals versus the degree to which the connections span diff e r e n c e s . Alliances between

who are more alike than they are different are called bon di n g social cap i t a l . Connections between people who are different

some important dimension such as race,socioeconomic statu s , or gender are referred to as b r i d gi n g social cap i t al . A l tboth bonding and bridging networks are valuab le , we believe that Americans should put a special emphasis on creating b r i

social capi t a l . Research shows that building c onnections across groups is especially valuable for everything from getting a

securing important social and political rights.vi ii For example, a recent study concluded that decent wages and working con

for immigrant farmworkers were secured only after organizers brought together an ethnically,r e l i gi o u s ly, and socio-econom

diverse group of people to work on the issue. i x C r e ating bridging social capital will become even more critical as the nation

more crowded and diverse and seeks to maintain social harmony and prosperity.

The C 2 C P r i n c i p le . The cultural disempowerment of citizens is a cause of the decline in individual willingness to assume

ership roles in civic life. In the emerging language of the dot com w o r l d , C2C refers to communications that occur c o n

to consumer. We expand that definition to mean citizen to citizen and community to community. Vertical commun

between e x p e r t s and l ay m e n has c ome to characterize too much of our interaction and has legitimized the illegi t i m ate

t hat regular folks dont have much to offer one another. E fforts to build social capital must strengthen horizontal commun

and reciprocity among peers.Self-help groups are founded on this principle and have used it, for example, to fight alco

and help people cope with traumatic events in their lives.

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a civic renaissanceis a proven possibility

A Civic Renaissance

This is not the first time that America has had to overcome a crisis of civic life. During the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era,

spanning roughly 1870-1915, r apid industrializat i o n , i m m i gr at i o n , t e c h n o l o gical change, and urbanization disrupted traditional

p atterns of community organizat i o n . These forces loosed people from the structures, on the farm or in the old c ountry,t h at had

anchored their lives, and proceeded to thrust them into a state of personal uncertainty and social disorganizat i o n . P r e d i c t ab ly,

the nation showed symptoms associated with declining social cap i t a l : crime wave s, political corruption, urban decay,a widening

income gap , and poorly functioning schools.

Alarmed by these trends, civic and social entrepreneurs from San Francisco to Denver to Chicago to Boston set about creat i n g

a new set of institutions to create community in ways that fit their new lives. T h ey led others to connect with one another and

to change a system that was no longer working. I n d e e d , m a ny of the nat i o n s most prominent voluntary organizat i o n s , most

significant political refo r m s , and most visionary organizers were products of that time. From Jane Addams to Teddy Roosevelt,

from the private ballot to female suff r ag e , from the NAACP to the Y M C A , the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era produced a

legacy that has served the nation well for more than a ce ntury.

To d ay, as we enter a new century fraught with vast demogr aphic and technological challenges, we need to harness the civi c

e n e r gy that our Progressive forebears fo u n d , r e p e ating their feats while learning from their errors. We need to become civic and

social entrepreneurs who create social capital building institutions suiting our times and honoring our values: d i v e r s i ty ,t ol e r an c e ,

i nc l u s i v e n e s s ,e q u a l i t y, f a i r n e s s ,c o m p a s s i o n ,h o p e ,and public spiritedness.We need a new civic renaissance.


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In the next five chap t e r s , we explore five institutional arenas in which the business of rebuilding social capital must take

In each chap t e r, we discuss the particular advantages of each cat e g o ry of institution in reengaging Americans; outline h

cal trends relevant to building social capital in each institutional arena; and offer guiding principles and specific recomm

tions in the five arenas for turning around our civic decline. The five chapters are as fo l l o w s :

The Wo r k p lac e. This chapter exami nes how the assumptions, l aw s , and structures of employmen t can be transformed to b

f a m i ly and ci vic l ife.

The Arts. This chapter examines the potential of artists and cultural organizations to unite people in creative endeavor

build and celebrate community.

Politics and Gove r n m e n t . This chapter examines troubles plaguing American democracy and suggests ways that cit

and political leaders can enhance civic interest and participat i o n .

Rel ig i o n. This chapter examines the role of houses of worship an d other faith-based organizatio ns in addressing spiritual, c u

and social problems.

S c h o o l s , Youth Org a n i z a t i o n s , and Families. This chapter exami nes ways to engage A m e r i c a s young people, who a

next generation of social cap i t a l i s t s .

We conclude with thoughts on how to create a civic renaissance in a post-modern nation of interstat e s , i n t e r n at i o n a l i s m

the Internet.

Photo from the first meeting of Saguaro Seminar. Bottom row:Robert D. Putnam (director); James Wallis; Paul Resnik; M

Minow; Liz Lerman; Henry Izumizaki; Lisa Sullivan; Xavier de Souza Brigg s ,Carol Lamm; Kris Rondeau; Carolyn Dogg e t t .Mr o w : Thomas Sander (executive director); George Stephanopoulos; Joseph Nye (Dean of the Kennedy School of Govern

Peter Pierce I II; E.J. D i o n n e , J r.; Dorothy Stoneman; Rev. Bliss Browne; Mark H. Moore; Vanessa Kirsch; A my Gutmann;

Sexton; Lewis H. S p e n c e . Top row: Jake Mascotte; Barack Obama; Stephen Goldsmith; Lewis M. Feldstein (co-chair); Gle

L o u ry; Juan Seplveda; Christopher T. G ates (co-chair); William Julius Wilson; Vin Weber; Kirbyjon Caldwell. John J . D i l u

is not pictured. [For biogr aphical descriptions of the participants see the Who We Are section on pages 91-94.]

o f t h e s a g u a r o s e m i n a r

hejourneyThe Saguaro Seminar is composed of leaders of institutions that have been struggling,

each in its own way, to rebuild civic bonds and restore connections among individuals.We are a diverse group of about three dozen people who, for three years, have met several

times a year to deliberate about the state of social capital in America and to debate

proposals for reinvigorating civic life. Our group includes young adults at the beginning of

their careers and older adults heading into retirement. We come from a wide variety of

racial and ethnic backgrounds and hold a range of religious beliefs. We represent small

towns and large cities; East, M i d w e s t , and West; and North and South. Among us are cl e r gy

members and political leaders, union officials and businesspeople, non-profit e x e c u t i v e s

and philanthropists, professors and community organizers, artists and youth workers.

In the course of our professional and extracurricular lives, most of us have moved in and

out of several different fields (from for-profit to non-profit work, for example) and straddled

dual roles (such as preacher and charity executive) at any given time. We are Republicans

and Democrats who share a concern about frayed social bonds and the cynicism and

alienation souring our public life. We discuss our values in greater detail in the Appendix,

Changing the Wind.


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can entertainefriends a few mo

times per yea

what if eveteacher had on

more discussion pmonth with st

dents about issuein the local comm

nity? what if evecandidate for pub

office asked fcampaign volu

teers in the sam

Our three years have reinforced our concern about the status quo: Americans face real

dangers if we do nothing about our civic malaise. Individually and collectively we mustfind ways to erase our social capital deficit, or we will no longer have, to paraphrase civic

leader Jimmy Carter, a society as good as its people. We must act now to reconnect our-

selves with the larger civic project that is the United States. It will take a critical mass of

outspoken and visionary individuals and institutions to make this happen. Cynicism is our

greatest enemy.

The challenges to rebuilding our civic infrastructure are collectively huge,but not Herculean

for any given individual. What if every American entertained friends a few more times per

year? What if every teacher had one more discussion per month with students about issues

in the local community? What if every candidate for public office asked for campaign

volunteers in the same letter asking for campaign contributions? What if every boss gave

his or her employees paid time off to attend par ent-teacher c onferences? These quiet, s m a l l

steps could multiply in wholly unexpected and significant ways.We ask you to become part

of this new mov e m e n t, both by changing your own lives in small but meaningful (and enjoyable )

ways and by recruiting friends, c o l l e a g u e s , and relatives to this m ost civic of causes.

ourdiscussion

i We have adopted the polit ical scientist Robert Putnams definit ion.See Robert D. P utn am ,Bowling A l o n e :

The Collapse and Revival of American Community (New Yor k :Simon & Schuster,2 0 0 0 ) ,p .1 9 .

ii Alexis de To c qu evi l l e , Democracy in A m eri c a . Vo l .2 ,Book 2, Ch apter V (New York :Borzoi Books of A l f r e d

A .K n o p f ,1 9 7 6 ) .

iii P utnam ,Bowling A l o n e , p .4 5 .

iv Pu t n a m , Bowling Alon e, p .9 9 .

v Pu tn a m, Bowling A lo ne, p .1 0 1 .

vi Talking With Tee ns :The YMCA Parent and Teen Surv ey Final Report,M ay 2000, at http://www. y m ca . ne t .

vii Pu t n a m , Bowling Alone, section III.

vi i i On the importance of bridging social capital for job at t ain m en t ,see Mark S. G r a n o v e t ter, Getting a Job

( Cam br i d ge ,M a s s . :H a rvard University Press, 1974); Mary Corcoran,Linda Dat ch er,and Greg Duncan,

Most Workers Find Jobs through Word of Mouth, Mo nth ly Labor Review (August 1980),33-35; and

James H.Johnson Jr., Elisa Jayne Bienenstock,and Walter C.Farrell Jr. , B r i d ging Social Networks and

Female Labor Force Participation in a Multi-Ethnic Metropolis, in P r i s m atic Metropolis: An alyz i ng

Inequality in Los A ng e l es , e d. L awrence D. Bob o, Me lvin L . O l i v e r, James H. Johnson Jr. ,and A b e l

Valenzuela (New Yo r k: Russell Sage Fo undat i o n ,2 0 0 0 ) .

ix Marshall Ganz, Resources and Resourcefulness: S t r at e gic Capacity in the Unionization of Califo r n ia

A gr i c u l t u r e ,19 5 9 - 1 9 6 6 . American Journal of Sociology, 105 (4),J an u a ry 2000,1 0 03 - 1 0 6 2 .

Pull-out text sources:on the relative benefits of joining groups versus not smoking, see James S.H ou se ,Karl R.La nd i s , and Debra Umberson,Social Relationships and Health, Sci en c e241 (1988):

540-545; Lisa F.B erk m an ,The Role of Social Relations in Health Promotion,Ps y c ho s omatic Medicine 57 (1995): 245-254; and Teresa E.S e ema n, Social Tie s and Health: The Benefits of Social In tegr at i o n ,Annual of

Ep i d e m i o l o gy 6 (1996): 4 4 2 - 45 1.For info rm ation on the connection betwe en commuting time and social cap i t al ,see Bowling Al on e, p .2 1 3 .

r e b u i l d i n g o u r c i v i c i n f r a s t r u c t u r e

bettertogether report 2nd 1/3

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