THE ANALYSIS OF THE SOCIAL CAPITAL IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DEMOCRATIC CHANGES FROM THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

Social capital represents, together with other forms of capital, an important factor of economic growth. Although it is often neglected by the economists, being difficult to quantify it in terms of direct influence on the productive output, it can still explain the performance differences between states that have similar positions in terms of endowment with traditional factors of production. In the present paper we intend to analyze the stock of social capital of six states, former members of the Warsaw Pact, in terms of level of trust and civic engagement, relating them to the European average. We will conduct both an integrated analysis of the whole area and a detailed one, on each state, in order to identify the main differences and developments. Then, we will compare these results with the macroeconomic indicators of growth, underlying in this way the connection between the type of social capital and the economic outcomes.