Robert D.

Putnam Making Dem

ocracy Work: Civic Traditions in
Modern Italy
(Chapter 4, 5, 6)

Sakhayaana
I34028

Introduction
After regional reforms i
n Italy in the 1970s, reg
ions were endowed wit
h considerable powers,
where the North of Ital
y began to flourish whil
e the South remained u
nchanged.
Putnam in his work trie
s to understand why su
ch a gap exists in a rela
tively small area.

TRENTINO
ALTO ADIGE
LOMBARDIA
VALLE
DAOSTA

FRIULI
VENEZIA GIULIA

VENETO
EMILIA
ROMAGNA

PIEMONTE

MARCHE

TOSCANA
LIGURIA

ABRUZZO
UMBRIA

MOLISE

PUGLIA

LAZIO

SARDEGNA
CAMPANIA

BASILICATA
CALABRIA
SICILIA

Theoretical framework
Why might social networks and social tr
ust relate to good governance?
Social trust

Social
networks

Civic
engagement

Accountable
representative
democracy
Political trust?

Better
policy
outputs?

Interesting Fact
In Russia the book was translated and p
ublished two years later, Putnam's ideas
have been proposed as a kind of solutio
ns, some social prescription, but appare
ntly the message has not been understo
od.

Chapter 4. Explaining Institutional Perfo

rmance
Socioeconomic Modernity, that is, the re
sult of the industrial revolution.
The Civic Community, that is, patterns of
civic involvement and social solidarity.

 Socioeconomic Modernity, that is, the re

sult of the industrial revolution.
The Civic Community, that is, patterns of
civic involvement and social solidarity.

Civic community

Civic engagement
Political Equality
Solidarity, Trust, and Tolerance
Associations: Social Structures of Cooper
ation

The civic society: testing the theory

Social and Political Life in the Civic Com

munity

Excluded affiliations
Unions
The Church and Religiosity
Parties

Other Explanations for Institutional Suc

cess

Social Stability
Education
Urbanism
Personnel Stability
The Italian Communist Party (PCI)
Why are some regions more civic than ot
hers?

Chapter 5. Tracing the Roots of the Civi

c Community
Various regimes in Italy:

For South

XI XII C. Authoritarian regime of Norman kingdom, combining t

he elements of feudal, bureaucratic, and absolutist government.
After King Frederick's death barons gained power and autonom
y, but cities and towns did not. Hierarchical structure of South re
mained essentially unchanged.
XIV XVI C. South remained largely unharmed of the destructive
calamities of Black Death and foreign invasions.
Still, social structure remained highly autocratic and hierarchical,
with kings and barons retaining autocratic powers and the vertic
al relations based on exploitation and dependence remained.

For North
XIV XVI C. the northernmost provinces fell ba
ck to signatories control, and other regions we
re also devastated by Black Death and foreign i
nvasions, but elements of civic culture remaine
d.
Communities based on mutual assistance, com
mon defense and economic cooperation sprun
g up as history moved out of the Dark Ages.
credit

 So, the northern and southern regions o

f Italy followed a drastically different pat
h of history in their development.
Briefly, all the elements of the northern c
ivic culture remained - as particularly wel
l exemplified by rapid developments of
mutual aid societies, cooperatives, and t
he labor unions. Meanwhile, the South r
emained just as well hierarchical in struc
ture as they always have been.

Chapter 6. Social Capital and Institution

al Success
Dilemmas of Collective Action
- Game theories
- Absence of mutual commitment
- Trust
- The leviathan

Social Capital, Trust, and Rotating Credi

t Associations
Social capital = TRUST, norms, and netw
orks, that can improve the efficiency of s
ociety by facilitating coordinated actions.
A rotating credit association

Norms of Reciprocity and Networks of

Civic Engagement
Social norms, when an action has externali
ties for others.
Reciprocity is of two sorts, sometimes calle
d balanced (or specific) and generalized
(or diffuse).
Effective Norm of Reciprocity=dense netw
orks of social exchange.
Interpersonal communication (horizontal,
vertical and mixed)

Networks of Civil Engagement

Four side effects:
1) Increase the potential costs to a defecto
r.
2) Foster robust norms of reciprocity.
3) Facilitate communication and improve t
he flow of information.
4) Embody past success at collaboration a
nd promote future collaboration.

History and Institutional Performance: T

wo Social Equilibria

Case of America
South America:
Tradition of hierarchical
Catholic culture
Familism
Exploitation
North America:
Decentralization
Civism
English patrimony

Critique
Associations could be temporary (?)
Only one case
Exclusion of some Organizations

Thank you!