Governments perform better where there is more general trust and strong civic norms; they perform less well where citizens are less trusting and less civic-minded. Social capital - in the form of general trust and strong civic norms that call for cooperation when large-scale collective action is...

Social capital - in the form of general trust and strong civi norms that call for cooperation when large-scale collective action is needed - can improve government performance in three ways: 1) It can broaden government accountability, making government responsive to citizens at large, rather...