This collection tackles the theme of isolation and the breakdown of mediating social institutions. It is, in part, a response to Robert Punnam’s Bowling Alone as well as an attempt to create a broader idea of civil society. The essays contribute to the examination of democratic theory and practice, exploring one of the most popular causes of this decline in public trust - social capital. The essays utilize diverse methodologies - empirical and philosophical - and multiple perspectives to examine critically the social capital discourse and how it is related to political participation, civic engagement and American democracy.