Macro Measures and Mechanics of Social Capital

Interest in social capital has grown as it has become apparent that it is an important predictor of collective well-being. Recently, attention has shifted to how levels of social capital have changed over time. But better measures are required to test even basic hypotheses such as establishing the direction of causality between the two components of social capital. In the following analysis, I develop macro measures of social capital through the development of longitudinal measures of civic engagement and interpersonal trust. I use these measures to test basic assumptions about social capital. The result is not only the first over time measures of social capital, but also an increase in our understanding of social capital as a macro process with complex causes and effects.