There Are Many Reasons to Cheer Up About the State of the Middle Class
April 11, 2026 | Scott Winship
This piece originally appeared at National Review Online and is reprinted here with permission. Statistics show that…
Social Capital
Family, community, civic society, institutions
Social well-being is on the decline. Families have become less stable, participation in religious and civic life has fallen, and communities have grown more fragmented and polarized. COSM is dedicated to understanding the breakdown of social capital and identifying solutions to renew America’s associational life.
Young Men Aren’t Checked Out. We’ve Closed the Paths That Once Guided Them
March 24, 2026 | Samuel J. Abrams
For the better part of a decade, a familiar narrative has taken hold: Young men…
The New Era for Nonprofits: America’s Old System of Federally Funded Nonprofits is Gone. What Comes Next?
August 28, 2025 | Daniel Stid
For six decades, the federal government has both funded and relied on nonprofit service providers…
Are conservative women embracing the ‘Supermom’ ideal?
August 22, 2025 | Brad Wilcox, Autumn Zeoli, and Ken Burchfiel
It’s not liberal but conservative women who are embracing the “Supermom” ideal made popular by second-wave feminism…
Libraries Are Doing the Work—Let’s Fund Them Accordingly
May 14, 2025 | Shamichael Hallman
Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of visiting libraries of all sizes—from…
Workplace Segregation between College and Non-College Workers
April 19, 2025 | Edward L. Glaeser, Francis M. Dillon, and William R. Kerr
Abstract We measure the level and growth of education segregation in American workplaces from 2000…
Alexis de Tocqueville and the Art of Association
March 4, 2025 | Daniel Stid
Alexis de Tocqueville, the French aristocrat, wrote as a friend of democracy in America, albeit…
Shifting Patterns of Social Interaction: Exploring the Social Life of Urban Spaces Through A.I.
December 4, 2024 | Edward L. Glaeser et al.
Abstract We analyze changes in pedestrian behavior over a 30-year period in four urban public…
Kevin Corinth: Addressing Social Capital Poverty in America
October 16, 2024 | Kevin Corinth
Despite improvements in material living standards, the erosion of social connections, civic engagement, and community…
It’s time to face up to our social poverty problem
October 11, 2024 | Scott Winship, Kevin Corinth, and Thomas O'Rourke
Over the past half-century, virtually all aspects of social life have deteriorated in America. We…
The New “Old Girls Network” in the American Workplace
October 3, 2024 | Brent Orrell
One of America’s great success stories has been the gradual opening of opportunities for women…
Disconnected: The Growing Class Divide in American Civic Life
September 25, 2024 | Daniel A. Cox and Sam Pressler
Key Points Read the PDF. Executive Summary At one time, American social and civic life…
Doing Right by Kids: Leveraging Social Capital and Innovation to Increase Opportunity
September 17, 2024 | Scott Winship, Yuval Levin, and Ryan Streeter
Material hardship among American children has never been lower. This seeming victory in the War…
The Distribution of Social Capital across Individuals and its Relationship to Income
August 29, 2024 | Kevin Corinth, Scott Winship, and Thomas O'Rourke
Abstract There have been several attempts to measure social capital—the value inhering in relationships—at an…
The Social Workplace: A Compendium
June 11, 2024 | Brent Orrell
Key Points Executive Summary In an era marked by a decline in social capital across…
Latest Updates
There Are Many Reasons to Cheer Up About the State of the Middle Class
April 11, 2026 | Scott Winship
This piece originally appeared at National Review Online and is reprinted here with permission. Statistics show that...
Missing Boy Jacob Pritchett Is a Reminder of Why We Can’t Leave Disabled Kids with Ill-Equipped Parents
March 29, 2026 | Naomi Schaefer Riley
It has been a year since anyone saw Jacob Pritchett. The 11-year-old boy, who is autistic...
Refocusing the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation on Achieving Deep Cost Reductions
March 26, 2026 | James C. Capretta
Spending on Medicare and Medicaid is pushing the federal budget to the breaking point, but, in...
The More Things Change, Medicaid Edition
March 25, 2026 | James C. Capretta
“Clinics” with suspect professional credentials running up bills for publicly-insured low-income patients. Outlandish claim volumes...