Section 3: Chapter 12, Mobility and Sprawl Summary and Analysis

Americans have always been somewhat nomadic, moving around from place to place more frequently than people in some other countries. About 20 percent of people move in a given year. However, moving can disrupt the connections that a person has already made. Putnam argues that residential stability is a strong factor in whether a person participates in local organizations. People who have recently moved are less likely to vote and less likely to have strong connections with others. People who except to move in the near future attend church less and volunteer less. Homeowners tend to be more rooted and are more likely to be involved. Communities with high turnover rates typically have less social capital and are less integrated. In these communities, crime tends to be higher, and children do worse in school...