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Bowling Alone—or Building Together? What New Social Capital Data Reveals About America

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  For years, the phrase   “bowling alone” —popularized by Robert Putnam—has described a quiet unraveling in American life. Fewer clubs, shared spaces, and relationships that tie us together. A new analysis from Nationhood Lab adds fresh data to that story—and the results are both sobering and clarifying. Their central question was simple:  Where in the United States is social capital strongest—and where is it weakest?  But the answer reveals something much deeper about the condition of our communities. How the Study Measured Social Capital Rather than relying on a single measure, researchers examined county-level social capital using a composite index built from multiple indicators of civic life. This included: The density of associational life (bowling leagues, churches, sports clubs, civic groups, labor unions) Voter turnout in presidential elections Census response rates The number of nonprofit organizations In other words, they weren’t just asking  what peo...
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Only 3 in 10 Know Their Neighbors. What That Tells Us—and What To Do About It

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  A recent  national survey highlighted in a  Rocket Mortgage media release revealed something both surprising and deeply familiar:  Only 3 in 10 Americans say they know their neighbors beyond a casual level. At the same time, most people say they  want  a stronger sense of neighborhood connection. That gap—between desire and reality—is where the story of neighboring in America is being written right now. The Great Disconnect The data paints a clear picture: Only about  30% of Americans have meaningful relationships with neighbors   Only  a quarter know most neighbors by name   Just  17% actively try to connect  with neighbors  Meanwhile, nearly  80% say strong neighborhoods improve quality of life. This isn’t apathy. It’s something more subtle.  Most people aren’t opposed to connection—they’re just not initiating it. In fact, more than half of respondents say they’re open to interaction, but only if it “happen...
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