IMF Working Papers

Social Capital and Civil Society

By Francis Fukuyama

March 1, 2000

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Format: Chicago

Francis Fukuyama. Social Capital and Civil Society, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2000) accessed November 21, 2024
Disclaimer: This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF.The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate

Summary

Social capital is an instantiated informal norm that promotes cooperation between individuals. In the economic sphere it reduces transaction costs, and in the political sphere it promotes the kind of associational life that is necessary for the success of limited government and modern democracy. Although social capital often arises from iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma games, it also is a byproduct of religion, tradition, shared historical experience, and other types of cultural norms. Thus whereas awareness of social capital is often critical for understanding development, it is difficult to generate through public policy.

Subject: Civil society, Economic sectors, Education, Financial institutions, Human capital, Labor, Social networks, Stocks, Technology

Keywords: Africa, Centralizing state, Civil society, East Asia, Economic policy, Europe, Human capital, Institutions, North America, Physical capital, Public policy, Second generation reforms, Social capital, Social networks, Society, State, State-supplied version, Stocks, Transaction costs, Village association, Western Europe, WP

Publication Details

  • Pages:

    18

  • Volume:

    ---

  • DOI:

    ---

  • Issue:

    ---

  • Series:

    Working Paper No. 2000/074

  • Stock No:

    WPIEA0742000

  • ISBN:

    9781451849585

  • ISSN:

    1018-5941

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