Living Networks: Reimagining Social Capital Beyond Institutions

This thesis investigates the decline of social capital in the United States and explores how community connection can be rebuilt outside of traditional government institutions. Motivated by the question of whether social capital can be rebuilt within bureaucratic structures, the research evaluates the role of alternative, agile models such as local volunteer organizations, mutual aid networks, third spaces, and NGOs. Using a comparative case study approach and qualitative analysis, I examine initiatives across different cultures that foster social trust and connection beyond the limitations of formal systems. The findings illustrate that adaptive models of social capital that are not based in formal government institutions tend to be more effective in building social capital. This is because unlike government structures, they align with the inherently relational and dynamic nature of social capital. When social capital declines, so do individual health and wellbeing, trust in public institutions, and democratic norms. On the other hand, when social capital is flourishing, societies experience greater individual and collective wellbeing, and increased trust in democracy. This thesis argues that the most promising responses to the erosion of social capital lie not in formal governmental structures, but rather in reimagining and amplifying the living networks that already sustain human connection at the ground level.