Harvard Professor of Public Policy
Robert Putnam is a distinguished political scientist known for his work on social capital and community engagement.
Economic inequality is a frequent topic in headlines, yet conversations about class itself often remain surprisingly muted. While public debates regularly center on race, gender, and identity, class is often treated as an uncomfortable or secondary issue despite its profound influence on education, housing, health, and opportunity. Sociologists and policy experts argue that this silence makes it harder to address the structural barriers that shape millions of lives. Others point to cultural narratives that celebrate individual success while minimizing systemic disadvantage. As wealth inequality reaches levels not seen in decades, the debate asks why class remains one of society's most influential—and least openly discussed—forms of inequality.
Jul 24, 2026"Work hard and you'll get there" is one of the most repeated promises in public life — but does the evidence actually support it? Malcolm Gladwell, Robert Putnam, and Angela Duckworth examine whether meritocracy is real, or whether opportunity, timing, and socioeconomic circumstance were always doing most of the work.
Jul 02, 2026The corner café, the neighborhood bar, the public park — these "third places" between home and work are where community actually happens. But they're disappearing. Ray Oldenburg, Susan Cain, and Robert Putnam explore what we lose when the spaces that make us feel like we belong stop feeling like ours.
Jun 05, 2026Governments are appointing ministers for loneliness while others argue connection is ultimately an individual pursuit — who's right?
May 20, 2026