The existence and proper functioning of democracy are particularly dependent on the ability of the society to connect and interact within its communities to resolve tentative issues. The author of the article “Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital” discusses and analyzes the manifestations of the civic society of the United States of America by assessing its change. Civic society as an expression of democracy has its social capital, which is characterized by the formation of social networks between people. The quality of such connections allows for timely and effective resolution of problematic issues due to the continuous awareness and interaction of the involved individuals within the community. Indeed, Putnam states that “such networks facilitate coordination and communication, amplify reputations, and thus allow dilemmas of collective action to be resolved” (66). Thus, in general, civic societies that form networks are capable of facilitating the functioning of a democratic society.
However, the ongoing trends in American society indicate a negative change in the readiness of people to engage in social networks and interact with others for social problem resolution. Within the past decades, the number of clubs, organizational associations, unities, religious networks, and other forms of civic engagement has significantly reduced. One of the reasons for such a deterioration in social capital is the development in people’s mobility and homeownership, which implies moving frequently and the lack of necessity to form strong social bonds. According to Putnam, “mobility, like frequent re-potting of plants, tends to disrupt root systems, and it takes time for an uprooted individual to put down new roots” (72). Therefore, changes in Americans’ lifestyles have led to diminished social capital and network involvement, which might ultimately negatively impact advancing democracy in the USA.