What the data say is we're not going to fix all these problems we have today,

polarization, inequality, self-centered,

social isolation.

We're not going to fix that until we begin to worry about other people more than ourselves.

I'm John Fabro. Welcome to offline.

Hey everyone, you just heard from today's guest the renowned political scientists and

bowling alone author who's the subject of the new documentary join or die Robert Putnam.

I have to start by just nerding out here. Dr Putnam is a political science

legend and I've wanted to meet him for a long time. So many of the topics we've

covered on this show have been inspired by his work, which I first studied in college,

social isolation, the collapse of American civic life, are growing distrust in

institutions, and bowling alone hasn't just been an inspiration for our little show.

It's one of the most influential pieces of political science ever published.

It shaped the thinking of presidents and become a cultural phenomenon that has left its mark with millions of people who aren't

polysy nerds.

Putnam argued in bowling alone that Americans were becoming increasingly disconnected

from one another, that the social structures that were once an integral part of American society,

PTA's, bowling leagues, clubs of all kinds,

were collapsing, and that the result of these weakened communal ties and

trust would erode the foundation of American democracy. 24 years later we are living

in the future Putnam warned us about. And the question

we're left with is whether we can change course, not just by elected new leaders

...