Allan J. Cigler

The Extensiveness of Group Membership and Social Capital: The Impact on Political Tolerance Attitudes

This article examines the relationship between membership in voluntary associations and political tolerance attitudes. Though the extensive literature on social capital posits a relationship between group involvement and political tolerance, empirical scrutiny of this proposition has yet to emerge. Specifically, we hypothesize that group membership-its extensiveness across a variety of different associational sectors, and the type of group affiliation-should be associated with variation in political tolerance. The 1972-1994 cumulative files for the General Social Surveys and the 1990 Citizen Participation Survey provide the data to test our hypotheses. The primary findings indicate that there is a strong positive relationship between the extensiveness of group membership and political tolerance. Moreover, this association grows stronger with each additional membership. Finally, after controlling for the extensiveness of group memberships, we find that membership in several specific types of groups affects political tolerance. Overall, results strongly support the social capital proposition linking group membership to political tolerance.

Group Involvement and Democratic Orientations: Social Capital in the Postelection Context

Objective. This article tests the relationship between involvement in voluntary associations and attitudinal changes considered supportive of democratic principles and system legitimacy. Methods. We utilize 1996 pre- and postelection American National Election Studies panel data to test the proposed relationship. The effects of reported levels of group involvement are examined across three attitudinal measures of democratic support: trust in government, external efficacy, and absolute differences in postelection evaluations of the winning and losing candidates. Results. Greater involvement in voluntary organizations contributes to increased levels of postelection trust in government and external efficacy and a reduction in postelection polarization of comparative candidate evaluations. Conclusions. In addition to supporting the social capital proposition linking group involvement to orientations viewed as enhancing of democracy, this study also contributes to a growing literature linking individual-level behavior to changes in systemic-level attitudes.

Conflict Reduction in the Post-Election Period: a Test of the Depolarization Thesis

N IMPORTANT though little studied function of American electoral processes /~ concerns the depolarization of partisan conflict in the period immediately A: following a presidential election. Depolarization is critical not only for regime support, but also for establishing a political climate in which participants are able to negotiate and compromise in reaching and implementing collective policy decisions. Depending on the partisan division in the electorate, polarization could induce political stalemate, regime instability, or even widespread political violence. Thus, the manner in which the electorate accepts the election results and

Community Decision-Making Systems Recruitment Culture and Political Responsiveness

This study examines the proposition that an areas recruitment culture may be an im portant intervening factor between community characteristics and the policy attitudes of elected decision makers. The research departs from previous studies in that it attempts to look at partisanship and the recruitment of local officials as a cultural, rather than strictly legal, phenomenon. In analyzing both aggregate and survey data gathered in Wisconsin counties, it was found that, in spite of legal nonpartisanship, there was much variation among the counties in terms of partisan factors surrounding decisions to seek public office, and that variation in recruitment cultures seemed to be related in systematic ways to the collective policy preferences of county boards.