Earlier this year, I hosted a screening and discussion of Join or Die (2003, 99 mins, dir. Rebecca Davis & Pete Davis)—a documentary profiling the work and legacy of renowned sociologist Robert Putnam at the Kairos Club. Putnam’s influential book Bowling Alone argued that the decline of social capital—those everyday bonds of trust, community, and civic participation—is undermining democracy itself. The film follows six community groups attempting to revitalize civic life in the U.S., and features Putnam’s call for Americans to “join a club or risk losing their democracy.”

But what if this rallying cry, once backed by the White House, still isn’t enough? After a short commentary in which I reflected on where Putnam’s framework succeeds—and where it falls short—I led a guided discussion on what it might actually take to rebuild civic life today.