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Political Research Quarterly
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The Third Face of Social Capital

How Membership in Voluntary Associations Improves Policy Accountability

Michele P. Claibourn

University of Virginia, Charlottesville

Paul S. Martin

University of Virginia, Charlottesville

This article examines whether political accountability—the heart of a functioning democracy—is enhanced by citizen participation in voluntary associations. The authors contend that involvement in associations offers an easy avenue for acquiring political information, thereby aiding citizens in evaluating the president on the basis of the policies produced by the president. General Social Survey data from ten years, paired with presidential policy liberalism scores, are used to test the key hypothesis. The authors find support for the idea that membership in voluntary associations facilitates a more sophisticated policy accountability among citizens.

Key Words: social capital • accountability • presidential approval

Political Research Quarterly, Vol. 60, No. 2, 192-201 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1065912907301766
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