Social Capital Credit (SoCC)

A common question in Public Administration and Policy is social capital credit (SoCC) and the influences it can have on our society. Social capital credit can be influenced through good deeds like giving donations to charity drives for tax purposes, giving money to a political party or candidate, volunteering time for our community and neighborhood agendas. Doing social good can also be planting trees for climate change awareness or Arbor Day, sending girls in third world countries to school, mentoring peers from underdeveloped neighborhoods, and reading to school children. The value of social capital credit allows people to gain knowledge or open opportunities that give them upward mobility in the social class system.

The "credit" part of SoCC can be earned through low interest loan options that give small business owners the ability to expand, giving new home buyers the ability to afford new appliances, car loan owners to pay lower payments monthly, giving grants or scholarships to college students, additional relief funding for members of society that give back to the community. The impact of SoCC can help build a community with new improvements to a community center, fire department, police department, medical practice center, or park and recreation through money donations or materials for building infrastructure.

The purpose for SoCC is to give smaller communities the incentives to build more within their local communities. The people that live in a community care the most about what types of businesses come into their lives everyday. It takes a lot of money and labor to negotiate corporations to open a new store in a rural or suburban town. Many of the elected officials and public administrators collectively bargain with corporate businesses to improve the foot traffic of a location to gain more consumer to buy their products.

In current politics, there have been disputes between both parities stating that the incentives that are granted to individuals or small businesses are too much for the government's debt. Yet, long term investments have been historically the best economic driver to gaining new products and infrastructure workers. Social capital credit can also be another incentive that must be created to provide equity throughout rural and suburban areas. Most of the equity provisions are given in the larger city areas first due to the amount of citizens the incentive has to cover yet social capital credit can be a option to quickly substitute the disparity. Social capital credit can be seen when a high school teacher gets the small business loan to open a new restaurant or café. The park and recreation services gain more donations for plywood from a local company to build swings and playground structures. When a parks and recreation elementary basketball team gets new jerseys, competition pizza dinners, and trophies for the season. Small acts of kindness can go a long way when people in the local community care for others yet their kindness must be granted some relief for the work they completed.

Think about how you can contribute to your local community for a social capital credit option.