2
service delivery and social capital formation in the United States (i.e., the corporative
“sponsoring” model and the so-called “faith-based” or charity model). In the language of
comparative politics, I am comparing the dynamics of a particular set of informal
institutions (i.e., “sponsoring” movement and “faith-based” movement) to the alternative
that I will coined the “new institution” movement, which emphasize strategic
organization and collaboration between formal and informal institutions that are
community-based, scientifically sound, bi-directional in benefits, and redistributive in
outcome.
3
The Meaning and Significance of Social Capital
Robert Putnam’s work Bowling Alone popularized the idea of social capital and
reinvigorated a longstanding debate concerning the relationship between civic
participation and democratic life. Putnam argues that Americans are less civically
engaged than in the past. The lack of participation, volunteerism, and social engagement
are characteristics of what he calls “the disappearance of social capital,” an indication of
the erosion of communal bonds and social trust in American culture. For Putnam, social
capital involves “connections among individuals—social networks and the norms of
reciprocity and trustworthiness that arise from them.”
4
Specifically, Putnam demonstrates how social capital has steadily declined since
the end of the 1950’s and documents this disengagement across a number of indicators—
political, civic, religious, workplace, and volunteer associations. In all of these areas,
3
See Gretchen Helmke and Steven Levitsky. 2004. “Informal Institutions and Comparative Politics: A
Research Agenda. APSA Perspective on Politics. Vol. 2 (4) December 2004.
4
Robert Putnam, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (New York: Simon
and Schuster, 2000), 19.
Convention