How Does Social Capital Impact the COVID-19 Response in the US on a County-Level?

How Does Social Capital Impact the COVID-19 Response in the US on a County-Level?

Esposito, Justin

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This study investigates the impact of social capital on the United States COVID-19 response on a county-level. Specifically, this paper examines the impact of the bonding versus bridging social capital distinction put forth by Putnam (2000) and the social capital theories of Bourdieu (1986). These social capital variables are analyzed in respect to their outcome on the COVID-19 response characteristics of the willingness to wear a mask in public and the percent change in time spent at home during the pandemic. Using the most recent social capital (2014 and 2019), mask wearing (2020), and social distancing data (2020-21) to perform ordinary least squares regressions. This paper estimates that bonding and bridging social capital does not impact the willingness to wear masks in public. However, we estimate that bonding social capital is negatively correlated with the percent change in time spent at home, and that bridging social capital is positively correlated with the percent change in time spent at home. Also, this paper estimates that income equality is positively correlated with both the willingness to wear a mask in public and the percent change in time spent at home during the pandemic. Educational equality was also estimated to be positively correlated with the percent change in time spent at home. Lastly, this study estimates that educational equality is both positively and negatively correlated with the willingness to wear a mask in public, dependent on the level of educational attainment that is most present in a county. If college educational attainment is held constant, we estimate educational equality to be negatively correlated with the willingness to wear a mask, however if high school educational attainment is held constant, we estimate educational equality to be positively correlated with the willingness to wear a mask. Social capital is found have both a positive and negative impact on the COVID-19 response in the US, it is dependent on the type of social capital being analyzed.

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