Original
Social Capital and Policy Compliance in a Polarized Democracy: A Necessary Condition Analysis of COVID Vaccination Rates Across US Counties
Abstract
ABSTRACT Policy compliance, the extent to which citizens adhere to government policies, remains a central test of democratic governance, especially during the COVID‐19 pandemic in the United States. This study examines how distinct forms of social capital—relational, structural (bonding versus bridging), cognitive, and vertical linking—serve as critical preconditions for COVID‐19 vaccination uptake in 2021. Using necessary condition analysis (NCA), we uncover nuanced and context‐specific impacts of distinct social capital on policy compliance. NCA also identifies threshold levels of various social capital required to achieve specific vaccination outcomes, yielding actionable diagnostics for policymakers and administrators. Strategies to raise compliance must align with local social capital configurations, prioritizing bridging in Republican‐leaning counties and relational support and careful use of bridging in Democratic‐leaning counties. The study advances civil society research by pinpointing the civic preconditions under which democratic institutions can function effectively in a polarized environment.
中文
极化民主中的社会资本与政策遵从：美国各县COVID-19疫苗接种率的必要条件分析
摘要
摘要：政策遵从，即公民遵守政府政策的程度，仍是民主治理的一项核心检验，尤其是在美国COVID-19大流行期间。本研究考察不同形式的社会资本——关系型、结构型（黏合型与桥接型）、认知型以及垂直联结型——如何成为2021年COVID-19疫苗接种率的关键前提条件。运用必要条件分析（NCA），我们揭示了不同社会资本对政策遵从的细致且情境化的影响。NCA还识别出实现特定疫苗接种结果所需的各种社会资本的阈值水平，为政策制定者和管理者提供了可操作的诊断依据。提高遵从度的策略必须与地方社会资本配置相契合：在倾向共和党的县优先发挥桥接型社会资本作用，而在倾向民主党的县则重视关系型支持并审慎使用桥接型社会资本。本研究通过明确民主制度在极化环境中有效运作所需的公民前提条件，推动了公民社会研究。
关键词
社会资本、政策遵从、COVID-19疫苗接种、必要条件分析、美国各县、极化民主、民主治理、公民社会