Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T17:56:19.344Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Institutional Arrangements and the Creation of Social Capital: The Effects of Public School Choice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

Mark Schneider ,
Paul Teske ,
Melissa Marschall ,
Michael Mintrom  and
Christine Roch
Mark Schneider
Affiliation:
State University of New Yorkat Stony Brook
Paul Teske
Affiliation:
State University of New Yorkat Stony Brook
Melissa Marschall
Affiliation:
State University of New Yorkat Stony Brook
Michael Mintrom
Affiliation:
Michigan State University
Christine Roch
Affiliation:
State University of New Yorkat Stony Brook
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

While the possible decline in the level of social capital in the United States has received considerable attention by scholars such as Putnam and Fukuyama, less attention has been paid to the local activities of citizens that help define a nation's stock of social capital. Scholars have paid even less attention to how institutional arrangements affect levels of social capital. We argue that giving parents greater choice over the public schools their children attend creates incentives for parents as “citizen/consumers” to engage in activities that build social capital. Our empirical analysis employs a quasi-experimental approach comparing parental behavior in two pairs of demographically similar school districts that vary on the degree of parental choice over the schools their children attend. Our data show that, controlling for many other factors, parents who choose when given the opportunity are higher on all the indicators of social capital analyzed. Fukuyama has argued that it is easier for governments to decrease social capital than to increase it. We argue, however, that the design of government institutions can create incentives for individuals to engage in activities that increase social capital.

Type
Articles
Information
American Political Science Review , Volume 91 , Issue 1 , March 1997 , pp. 82 - 93
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 1997

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Achen, Chris. 1986. The Statistical Analysis of Quasi-Experiments. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Aldrich, John, and Nelson, Forrest. 1994. Linear Probability, Logitand Probit Models. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Almond, Gabriel, and Verba, Sidney. 1963. The Civic Culture. Princeton: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Alvarez, R. Michael, and Brehm, John. 1994. “Two-Stage Estimation of Non-Recursive Choice Models.” California Institute of Technology, Social Science Working Paper 905. Typescript.Google Scholar
Anderson, Charles. 1990. Pragmatic Liberalism. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Anson, Amy, Cook, Thomas, Habib, Farah, Grady, Michael, Haynes, Norris, and Comer, James. 1991. “The Comer School Development Program: A Theoretical Analysis.” Urban Education 26 (04):56–82.Google Scholar
Astone, Nan Marie, and McLanahan, Sara. 1991. “Family Structure, Parental Practices, and High School Completion.” American Sociological Review 56 (06):309–20.Google Scholar
Barber, Benjamin. 1984. Strong Democracy: Participatory Politics for a New Age. Berkeley: University of California Press.Google Scholar
Berry, Jeffrey, Portney, Kent, and Thomson, Ken. 1993. The Rebirth of Urban Democracy. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.Google Scholar
Blank, Rolf K. 1990. “Educational Effects of Magnet High Schools.” In Choice and Control in American Education. Vol 2: The Practice of Choice, Decentralization and School Restructuring, ed. Clune, William H. and Witte, John F.. London: Falmer Press.Google Scholar
Bourdieu, Pierre. 1980. Questions de Sociologie. Paris: Minuit.Google Scholar
Boyer, Ernest. 1992. School Choice. Princeton, NJ: Carnegie Foundation.Google Scholar
Brehm, John, and Rahn, Wendy. N.d. “Individual Level Evidence for the Causes and Consequences of Social Capital.” American Journal of Political Science. Forthcoming.Google Scholar
Carnoy, Martin. 1993. “School Improvement: Is Privatization the Answer?” In Decentralization and School Improvement, ed. Hannaway, Jane and Carnoy, Martin. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
Chubb, John, and Moe, Terry. 1990. Politics, Markets and America's Schools. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.Google Scholar
Clinton, Hillary Rodham. 1996. It Takes a Village: And Other Lessons Children Teach Us. New York: Simon and Schuster.Google Scholar
Clune, William H., and Witte, John F., eds. 1990. Choice and Control in American Education. Vol. 2: The Practice of Choice, Decentralization and School Restructuring. London: Falmer Press.Google Scholar
Coleman, James. 1990. Foundations of Social Theory. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Coleman, James, and Hoffer, Thomas. 1987. Public and Private High Schools Compared. New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Coleman, James, Hoffer, Thomas, and Kilgore, Sally. 1982. High School Achievement: Public, Catholic, and Private Schools Compared. New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Coleman, James. 1988. “Social Capital in the Creation of Human Capital.” American Journal of Sociology 94 (Supplement):S95–120.Google Scholar
Cookson, Peter W. Jr. 1994. School Choice: The Struggle for the Soul of American Education. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Coons, John E., and Sugarman, Stephen D.. 1978. Education by Choice: The Case for Family Control. Berkeley: University of California Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Diamond, Larry. 1992. “Economic Development and Democracy Reconsidered” In Reexamining Democracy, ed. Marks, Gary and Diamond, Larry. New York: Sage.Google Scholar
Elmore, Richard F. 1991. “Public School Choice as a Policy Issue.” In Privatization and Its Alternatives, ed. Gormley, William T. Jr. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.Google Scholar
Fantini, Mario D. 1973. Public Schools of Choice. New York: Simon and Schuster.Google Scholar
Fliegel, Seymour. 1990. “Creative Non-Compliance.” In Choice and Control in American Education, Vol. 2: The Practice of Choice, Decentralization and School Restructuring, ed. Clune, William H. and Witte, John F.. New York: Falmer Press.Google Scholar
Friedman, Milton. 1955. “The role of government in education.” In Economics and the Public Interest, ed. Solo, R. A.. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.Google Scholar
Friedman, Milton. 1962. Capitalism and Freedom. Chicago: The University of Chicago.Google Scholar
Fukuyama, Francis. 1995. Trust: Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity. New York: Free Press.Google Scholar
Goldberger, Arnold. 1964. Econometric Theory. New York: John Wiley.Google Scholar
Granato, Jim, Inglehart, Ronald, and Leblang, David. 1996a. “The Effect of Cultural Values on Economic Development: Theory, Hypotheses, and Some Empirical Tests.” American Journal of Political Science 40 (08):607–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Granato, Jim, Inglehart, Ronald, and Leblang, David. 1996b. “Cultural Values, Stable Democracy, and Economic Development: A Reply.” American Journal of Political Science 40 (08):680–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Handler, Joel. 1996. Down From Bureaucracy: The Ambiguity of Privatization and Empowerment. Princeton: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Harrington, Diane, and Cookson, Peter Jr. 1992. “School Reform in East Harlem: Alternative Schools versus Schools of Choice.” In Empowering Teachers and Parents, ed. Hess, G. Alfred. Westport, CT: Bergin and Garvey.Google Scholar
Heckman, James. 1978. “Dummy Endogenous Variables in a Simultaneous Equation System.” Econometrica 46 (07):931–59.Google Scholar
Heckman, James J., Hotz, V. Joseph, and Dabos, Marcelo. 1987. “Do We Need Experimental Data to Evaluate the Impact of Manpower Training on Earnings?” Evaluation Review 11 (08):395–427.Google Scholar
Henig, Jeffrey. 1994. Rethinking School Choice: Limits of the Market Metaphor. Princeton: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Inglehart, Ronald. 1990. Culture Shift in Advanced Industrial Society. Princeton: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Jackman, Robert, and Miller, Ross. 1996a. “A Renaissance of Political Culture?” American Journal of Political Science 40 (08):632–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jackman, Robert, and Miller, Ross. 1996b. “The Poverty of Political Culture?” American Journal of Political Science 40 (08):697–716.Google Scholar
Jencks, Christopher. 1966. “Is the Public School Obsolete?” The Public Interest 2 (Winter):18–27.Google Scholar
Kerbow, David, and Bernhardt, Annette. 1993. “Parental Intervention in the School: The Context of Minority Involvement.” In Parents, Their Children and School, ed. Schneider, Barbara and Coleman, James S.. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.Google Scholar
LaLonde, Robert, and Maynard, Rebecca. 1987. “How Precise are Evaluations of Employment and Training Programs: Evidence from a Field Experiment.” Evaluation Review 11 (08):428–51.Google Scholar
Lee, Dwight R. 1991. “Vouchers—The Key to Meaningful Reform.” In Privatization and Its Alternatives, ed. Gormley, William T. Jr. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.Google Scholar
Lee, Seh-Ahn. 1993. “Family Structure Effects on Student Outcomes.” In Parents, Their Children and Schools, ed. Schneider, Barbara and Coleman, James S.. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.Google Scholar
Lipset, Seymour Martin. 1995. “Malaise and Resiliency in America.” Journal of Democracy (01):2–16.Google Scholar
Lord, Frederic M. 1967. “A Paradox in the Interpretation of Group Comparisons.” Psychological Bulletin 68 (11):304–5.Google Scholar
Lord, Frederic M. 1969. “Statistical Adjustments When Comparing Preexisting Groups.” Psychological Bulletin 72 (11):336–7.Google Scholar
Loury, Glenn. 1977. “A Dynamic Theory of Racial Income Differences.” In Women, Minorities, and Employment Discrimination, ed. Wallace, P.A. and LeMund, A.. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.Google Scholar
Lyons, William, Lowery, David, and DeHoog, Ruth Hoogland. 1992. The Politics of Dissatisfaction. Armonk, NY: Sharpe.Google Scholar
Lowery, David, Lyons, William, and DeHoog, Ruth Hoogland. 1995. “The Empirical Evidence for Citizen Information and a Local Market for Public Goods.” American Political Science Review 89 (09):705–9.Google Scholar
Mansbridge, Jane. 1980. Beyond Adversary Democracy. New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Muller, Chandra, and Kerbow, David. 1993. “Parental Involvement in the Home, School and Community.” In Parents, Their Children and Schools, ed. Schneider, Barbara and Coleman, James S.. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.Google Scholar
Ostrom, Elinor. 1972. “Metropolitan Reform: Propositions Derived from Two Traditions.” Social Science Quarterly 53 (12):474–93.Google Scholar
Putnam, Robert. 1993. Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy. Princeton: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Putnam, Robert. 1995a. “Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Capital.” Journal of Democracy 6 (01):65–78.Google Scholar
Putnam, Robert. 1995b. “Tuning in, Tuning out: The Strange Disappearance of Social Capital in America.” PS: Political Science and Politics, 28 (12):664–83.Google Scholar
Ravitch, Diane. 1994. “Somebody's Children: Expanding Educational Opportunities for All America's Children.” Brookings Review (Fall)4–9.Google Scholar
Schneider, Barbara, and Coleman, James, eds. 1993. Parents, Their Children and Schools. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.Google Scholar
Schneider, Mark. 1989. The Competitive City. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.Google Scholar
Schneider, Mark, and Teske, Paul. 1995. Public Entrepreneurs: Agents for Change in American Government. Princeton: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
School District Data Book v. 1.0 [CD-ROM]. 1995. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics and The MESA Group.Google Scholar
Smith, Kevin, and Meier, Kenneth. 1995. The Case against School Choice: Politics, Markets, and Fools. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe.Google Scholar
Stone, Clarence. 1996. “The Politics of Urban School Reform: Civic Capacity, Social Capital, and Intergroup Context.” Presented at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, San Francisco, August 29–09 1.Google Scholar
Strobert, Barbara. 1991. Factors Influencing Parental Choice in Selection of a Magnet School in the Montclair, New Jersey Public Schools. Ed.D. diss. Columbia University Teachers College.Google Scholar
Swank, Duane. 1996. “Culture, Institutions, and Economic Growth: Theory, Recent Evidence, and the Role of Communitarian Polities.” American Journal of Political Science 40 (08):660–79.Google Scholar
Tarrow, Sidney. 1996. “Making Social Science Work across Space and Time: A Critical Reflection on Robert Putnam's Making Democracy Work.” American Political Science Review 90 (06):389–97.Google Scholar
Teske, Paul, Schneider, Mark, Mintrom, Michael, and Best, Samuel. 1993. “Establishing the Micro Foundations of a Macro Theory: Information, Movers, and the Competitive Local Market for Public Goods.” American Political Science Review 87 (09):702–13.Google Scholar
Teske, Paul, Schneider, Mark, Mintrom, Michael, and Best, Samuel. 1995. “The Empirical Evidence for Citizen Information and a Local Market for Public Goods.” American Political Science Review 89 (09):705–9.Google Scholar
Tiebout, Charles. 1956. “A Pure Theory of Local Expenditure.” Journal of Political Economy 64 (10):416–24.Google Scholar
Verba, Sidney, Schlozman, Kay Lehman, and Brady, Henry. 1995. Voice and Equality: Civic Voluntarism in American Politics. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Wells, Amy Stuart. 1993. Time to Choose: America at the Crossroads of School Choice Policy. New York: Hill and Wang.Google Scholar
Wilson, William Julius. 1987. The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public Policy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Witte, John F. 1991. “The Milwaukee Parental Choice Program.” In School Choice: Examining the Evidence, ed. Rasell, Edith and Rothstein, Richard. Washington, DC: Economic Policy Institute.Google Scholar
Witte, John F., and Rigdon, Mark E.. 1993. “Education Choice Reforms: Will They Change American Schools?” Publius: The Journal of Federalism 23 (Summer): 95–114.Google Scholar
Wohlstetter, Priscilla, Wenning, Richard, and Briggs, Kerri L.. 1995. “Charter Schools in the United States: The Question of Autonomy.” Working paper, University of Southern California's Center on Educational Governance. Typescript.Google Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.