Mains Practice Questions

Approach

• Begin by defining the social capital.
• Discuss the role of social capital in enhancing good governance.
• Conclude by highlighting the need to promote social capital.

Introduction

Social capital is a set of shared values or resources that allows individuals to work together in a group to effectively achieve a common purpose.

Body

Social capital plays a crucial role in enhancing good governance in several ways:

• It can foster civic engagement and participation, which can increase the accountability and responsiveness of governance institutions.
• It can facilitate collective action and problem-solving, which can improve the delivery of public goods and services.
• It can promote social cohesion and inclusion, which can reduce conflicts and violence and enhance social justice.
• It can reduce transaction costs and information asymmetries, and increase coordination and cooperation among different actors.
• It can stimulate innovation and learning, which can enhance the adaptability and effectiveness of governance systems.

Conclusion

Social capital is crucial for good governance, fostering trust, cooperation, civic engagement, and collective action. Recognizing its value, governments should actively nurture and safeguard social capital to enhance democratic institutions and societal well-being.