What is social capital? And whatever it is, are Americans losing it?

In his 1998 lecture, “Bowling with Tocqueville”, Everett Carl Ladd explained that he did not think so: His data and analysis led him to optimism about the state of participation in civil society, such as churches, recreational leagues, and even local politics. But more than twenty years have passed, and trends in religion, culture, economics, and technology seem to be driving Americans towards social alienation. AEI visiting fellow Timothy Carney joins us to provide the postscript to Ladd’s lecture, discussing how drastically civil society has changed and what he observed while researching his new book, “Alienated America.”

This lecture was originally delivered at AEI in September 1998.

To view a full list of the Bradley Lectures, see the Bradley Lectures page on the AEI website.