Political Science 120, Comparative Political Regimes, Winter Term 2005

Session 6: Social Structural Approaches

Small Group Discussion Exercise

(1) What does Putnam mean by “civic community?” What are its main components?

(2) What is “civic-ness?” How does Putnam measure it?

(3) How does Putnam measure “institutional performance?”

(4) Why is civic community correlated with institutional performance?

(5) Which is more important as a source of democracy: civic community or economic development? Give at least three reasons for your answer.