ABSTRACT
To what extent, if any, does social capital increase support for democratic values of citizens? Before the recent explosion of interest in social capital, it was usual to explain support for democratic values as a consequence of individual attributes such as education; individual economic circumstances or a country’s economic development; and characteristics of political institutions and performance. Because social capital is only one element of the political system, its influence is likely to be limited rather than the primary or exclusive cause of democratic values (cf. Boix and Posner 1998). The question invites empirical examination of the extent to which social capital, however measured, is the primary influence, one among several major influences, or of only minor importance in forming political attitudes.
