Robert Putnam Revisits "Bowling Alone" with The Mingle Project

Michael sits down with Harvard political scientist Robert Putnam, author of "Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community" (2000), for a timely conversation about America’s growing social isolation and political polarization. In this special episode talking about The Mingle Project, Putnam explains how the decline of civic life, community ties, and shared experiences helped create the conditions for today’s populism — and why rebuilding “social capital” is essential to restoring democracy. From school buses and bowling leagues to social media algorithms and Silicon Valley, Smerconish and Putnam explore what tore Americans apart, what history teaches about recovery, and how communities can reconnect before it’s too late. Original air date 7 May 2026.