How to get from the me to the we society 

The writer is editor of the FT, chief executive of the Royal Society of Arts and former chief economist of the Bank of England.

The world is more diverse and intertwined than ever before, economically, culturally, ethnically, largely as a result of the post-war explosion of cross-border flows of goods and people and information :

Those days are over. The question now is whether increasing economic openness and connectivity are a source of fragility, rather than prosperity, economically and socially have a point.

There is no ecosystem on the planet that is not enriched by increasing diversity. The complexity of rainforests and oceans accounts for their abundance. The cross-pollination of ideas, cultures, and practices across communities has been the driving force of innovation and dynamism for millennia.

However, this is a double-edged sword: the rainforest or the ocean are vulnerable to antagonistic arrivals, such as people looking for timber or fish.

Every complex system faces this balancing act, but it can be improved by strengthening ties and trust, what Harvard political scientist Robert Putnam calls social capital. documented by Putnamhas tipped the scales decisively towards fragility. Today’s open, connected economies are nested in fragile, disconnected societies.Neither can thrive this way.

One policy response is to reverse economic course by tightening restrictions on cross-border flows of people, goods, technology, and information. While economists (like me) tell us this will reduce economic dynamism, given these policies, which address the insecurity felt by many at the source, it’s no wonder they’re getting support, especially around immigration and trade.

But there is another, probably less expensive, certainly less explored way to achieve the same goal. social policy to gather rather than withdraw economic policy Social capital can become a golden thread woven throughout public policy, from health to housing to education to housing.

Many organizations already have social cohesion and anti-social behavior programs in place. US Senator Chris Murphy has proposed a national social cohesion strategy, but no country has yet implemented a comprehensive, national social cohesion program with the same ambitions.

A better map of the area is very important. policy action is often in the dark and data on social capital is patchy.A new set of national accounts focused on social capital is needed Raj Chetty who developed the highly granular maps social capital, gives an idea of ​​what is possible.

Social connections are best established early in life. As Chetty et al.’s work shows, networks are the key to unlocking upward mobility. But our current education systems are more often a recipe for social stratification than mingling a radical revision of the standards of activity as well as educational access so that social connection becomes a priority rather than a background.

Next, unplanned urban sprawl has contributed significantly to the balkanization of communities. In the future, social cohesion should be at the heart of spatial planning, suggested LSE Professor Richard Sennett sociable housing, connecting disconnected communities through mixed-use housing, communal spaces and improved public space.Examples already exist in Japan, Scandinavia and elsewhere.

Social capital is built on strong social infrastructure: faith-based institutions, youth clubs, community centers, parks, sports and leisure facilities, and museums. However, investment in social infrastructure is small compared to physical and digital infrastructure :

If citizens’ trust is to be rebuilt, citizens’ commissions and juries are effective in building trust and cohesion in the various communities. However, they are far from a return to the original Greek model of democracy play a central role at the local level.

In addition, mainstream and social media are a key conduit for both social connection and, increasingly, social division. Many countries are legislating to prevent online harm Cohesion: Public broadcasters and regulators have a vital role to play in this.

After all, every revolution (even a political one) needs leadership. The office of the President or Prime Minister, responsible for ensuring social cohesion through politics, must be integrated into the machinery of governments.

In The Upswing:Putnam showed how social capital was built up in the first half of the 20th century before being depleted in the second. We can replicate these successes through national programs of social cohesion that speak directly to the insecurities felt by many. This would mean a decisive shift in capitalism itself to a “social capitalism” that can bridge disconnected communities, progressives and populists, me and us.