Bridging and Bonding in Cyberspace? The Impact of Online Communities on Social
Capital and Political Participation
James Krueger, Scott Cody, and Matt Peckham
Introduction
Alexis de Tocqueville noted many years ago in Democracy in America that
Americans tend to be joiners, and that the groups we form and join constitute a crucial
part of American politics. However, the atmosphere that Tocqueville recorded in the
1800s may no longer exist. Since the publication of Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone
(2000) political scientists have heatedly debated whether social connectedness and
community-mindedness have declined in the United States since the 1960s, what has
caused this to happen (if indeed it has), how to address the issue, and so on.
A key question in the debate concerns Putnam’s conception of social capital and
interconnectedness. Perhaps social capital has in fact not disappeared, says Putnam, but
instead assumed new forms. While bowling leagues and American Legion meetings
were manifestations of social capital in the previous era, perhaps newer generations of
Americans are building their collective networks elsewhere.
With the rise of communications technology, particularly the Internet, many
opportunities to bond with others and bridge new social networks are available. People
may be spending less time visiting the family next door, but they are spending
incrementally more time visiting with their virtual neighbors across the country. The
Internet offers a variety of ways to communicate instantly with anyone who is also
connected, regardless of location, from email and instant messaging to more complex and
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Convention