Consider the Argument Made by Putnam's Bowling Alone, as Described

question 45

Essay

Consider the argument made by Putnam's Bowling Alone, as described in Chapter 1. Are Putnam's conclusions consistent with your own casual observations about how social ties have weakened in the United States? List three of your own observations that are either consistent with or contradict Putnam's conclusion. Describe how you might propose descriptive research to test whether your observations hold up to scientific criteria. In addition, be specific about the types of errors in everyday reasoning that might apply to your casual observations.

---

Definitions:

Discount Amortization

The process of gradually writing off the initial discount on a bond or loan over the life of the instrument, affecting the issuer's interest expense.

Effective Yield

The return on an investment, expressed as a percentage, accounting for the effects of compounding over a specified period.

Effective Interest Method

A method of calculating the interest revenue for an investment where the interest rate is compounded with each period.

Present Value

The present monetary value of a future sum or a series of cash payments, considering a designated rate of return.