Treating social relationships as a form of capital acknowledges that they are capable of changing economic and political performance, for better or worse. This simple idea has provoked an outpouring of new research in recent years. Some of the research is unrelated to development and focuses on the alleged decline in civic culture in the United States. A growing part of the research focuses on the question: is an increased density of social relations helpful to international development, and, if so, what should policymakers be doing about it?