Nicholas Lovrich

Governmental Studies and Services
Social Capital and Public Policy Adoption

Nicholas Lovrich

The issues involved in the study of social capital and the phenomena related to this construct are often highly complex and lead to great controversy among scholars. In the world of public policy practice, far less controversy and careful study exists with uncritical adoption of this social science construct serving as a guide to public policy adoption and program management. The core idea is that along with physical capital (natural resources, energy, money, etc.) and human capital (knowledge and skills possessed by people), social capital is just as important to social problem solving as other forms of societal resources.

In the area of public policy adoption and program operation the concept of social capital has been used as an approach to a variety of public policies. For example, in the areas of public health, environmental protection, and public safety promotion, major initiatives are under way to promote the development of social capital related to the prevention of juvenile obesity through active engagement in group activity (CDC and NIH), the promotion of effective watershed-level management planning processes (EPA), the adoption of community policing programs (DOJ), and the promotion of “civic journalism” (PEW Charitable Trust). Such initiatives are being carried out in many settings across the country with mixed success, and it is possible to carry out systematic comparisons to determine the extent to which human, physical, and social capital aspects were critical elements of success or failure. Dr. Lovrich has authored and co-authored several publications in this area of research.

Contact Information
Nicholas Lovrich, Ph.D.
Professor
Division of Governmental Studies and Services

Washington State University
PO Box 644870
Pullman, WA 99164-4870

Telephone: 509-335-4811
Fax: 509-335-2362
E-mail: faclovri@wsu.edu

Safety and Security

Nicholas Lovrich

Dr. Nicholas Lovrich, professor in the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice Program, and a Claudius O. and Mary W. Johnson Distinguished Professor in Political Science, has served as the director of the Division of Governmental Studies and Services at Washington State University since 1977. Prior to coming to WSU, Dr. Lovrich taught Political Science (Public Administration) at DePauw University and the University of Denver. He holds a B.A. from Stanford University and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles (1971). His awards and distinctions include the Washington State University President’s Faculty Excellence Award for Public Service (1990-91), the Washington State Governor’s Award for Service and Quality Improvement (1998), the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) Faculty Mentor of the Year (2000) award, and the College of Liberal Arts Distinguished Faculty Award (2003). He has authored or co-authored/co-edited ten books and more than one hundred and fifty peer-reviewed articles and edited book chapters. His scholarship has appeared in major journals in political science, public administration, and criminal justice, and his monographs have been published by MIT Press, McGraw Hill, Houghton Mifflin, Praeger, and Westview.

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