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
Main Trends in Civic Engagement are DownAll available data, however, point to a decline after 2003.	Sep 17th, 2007	civic health index
Our Civic CoreWe believe that most of the forms of engagement measured in the Civic Health Index should be common practices among the people. For example, virtually everyone in a democracy should vote, follow the news, ...	Sep 17th, 2007	civic health index
"Citizen-Centered" EngagementDiscussing and ActingOur most active citizens both attend public meetings on community issues and work with other people directly on public problems.	Sep 17th, 2007	civic health index
NetizensEngaging OnlineA dramatic recent change in civil society is the opportunity to participate via computers and digital networks.	Sep 17th, 2007	civic health index
Deliberating41 Million Engaged with Diverse GroupsWe define public deliberation as talking civilly and constructively with others who have diverse views about important issues. It is a crucial complement to voting, volunteering, and activism, because ...	Sep 17th, 2007	civic health index
An Appetite for Civic ParticipationMost people are not participating today. That could be because they do not have opportunities or encouragement to work on public issues, because of a real or perceived lack of time, or because Americans ...	Sep 17th, 2007	civic health index
Millennials EmergeA New Civic Generation?According to the Census, in 2007, living Millennials outnumbered living Baby Boomers: 77.6 million to 74.1 million. They have a distinctive political and civic character that will be important for America's ...	Sep 17th, 2007	civic health index
Gaps in ParticipationThe Power of A Good EducationEducation marks the great gap in civic participation today. Overall, the differences by race, ethnicity, and gender are small. But this study, like much previous research, finds that Americans with more ...	Sep 17th, 2007	civic health index
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

Social Capital Discussions and Commentary

Title	Date	Type
Beyond the VoteAmericans turned out in force for the 2008 Presidential Election with over 133 million ballots cast. Voters were heeding the call for change, but will citizens continue to be involved beyond Election Day? ...	November 5, 2008	video
Can Facebook Replace Face-to-Face? The 2008 National Conference on Citizenship raised this provocative question with Sean Parker, Founding President of Facebook and Bill Galston of the Brookings Institute. Parker and Galston discussed, ...	November 14, 2008	video
Gatekeepers and New MediaDuring the 2008 National Conference on Citizenship, panelists Bill Galston of the Brookings Institution and Sean Parker, Founding President of Facebook, agreed to disagree on the subject of gatekeepers ...	November 20, 2008	video
The Internet: Civic Polarizer or Unifier?There's an old saying, ”Great minds think alike.” Or is that just what we tell ourselves when we find people who think as we do? Sean Parker, William Galston and Joe Trippi conclude their dynamic ...	November 26, 2008	video
In Transparency, We Trust?An NCoC Featured DiscussionIn challenging times punctuated by accusations of wasteful spending, special interests, and corporate greed, individuals are demanding accountability, respect, and trust from the governments and institutions ...	April 9, 2009	discussion
Stepping Up or Holding Back?How are neighbors strengthening communities in the economic crisis?The 2009 Civic Health Index, set to be released at the NCoC Annual Conference September 9, will examine the relationship between financial health and civic health, including ways civic engagement has increased ...	May 8, 2009	discussion
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
Social Media and A New Model of Civic Engagement by Nick TroianoWhile there remains a vibrant debate over whether social media is creating new activists or just enhancing the tools used by existing ones, it is clear there has been a fundamental change in the way citizens ...	July 7, 2009	discussion
New CIRCLE Report on State Election Law Reform and Youth Voter TurnoutThe Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Education (CIRCLE) has released a report on how different state election laws affect turnout among 18-29-year-old voters. For states committed ...	July 17, 2009	discussion
Make Your Voice Heard: Future Preparedness IndexYoung People First aims to foster a stronger constituency of young people to advocate for long-term priorities in the United States. Their principal tool is the Future Preparedness Index (FPI), which is ...	August 5, 2009	discussion

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