Origins & Early Life

Robert David Putnam (born January 9, 1941) is an American political scientist specializing in comparative politics. He is the Peter and Isabel Malkin Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government. Putnam developed the influential two-level game theory that assumes international agreements will only be successfully brokered if they also result in domestic benefits.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

His most famous work, Bowling Alone, argues that the United States has undergone an unprecedented collapse in civic, social, associational, and political life (social capital) since the 1960s, with serious negative consequences. In March 2015, he published a book called Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis that looked at issues of inequality of opportunity in the United States. According to the Open Syllabus Project, Putnam is the fourth most frequently cited author on college syllabi for political science courses. Join or Die, a 2023 documentary film about community connections and club participation that is available on Netflix, features Putnam and is based on Putnam's works. Robert David Putnam was born on January 9, 1941, in Rochester, New York,...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Adnan Khayr Allah — Contemporary (Born in 1941) (1941): Iraqi military officer and Minister of Defense, closely associated with the Ba'ath regime.
• Alan Mullery — Contemporary (Born in 1941) (1941): Iconic English footballer and manager known for his time at Fulham and Spurs.
• Aldrich Ames — Contemporary (Born in 1941) (1941): American CIA analyst and notorious Soviet spy convicted of espionage.
• Adrien-Marie Legendre — Shared historical date (01-09 · Died) (1833): Pioneering French mathematician known for Legendre polynomials and least squares method.
• Alvah Curtis Roebuck — Shared historical date (01-09 · Born) (1864): Co-founder of Sears, Roebuck and Company, pioneering American retail businessman.
• Alfonso XIII — Historical peer (Died in 1941) (1941): King of Spain (1886-1931), whose reign spanned constitutional crises and republican upheaval.
• Ali Hassan al-Majid — Historical peer (Born in 1941) (1941): Notorious Iraqi military figure, cousin of Saddam Hussein, known for brutal repression.
• A. P. J. Abdul Kalam — Historical peer (Died in 2015) (2015): Visionary aerospace engineer, scientist, and former President of India.
• Alan Bond — Historical peer (Died in 2015) (2015): Australian businessman known for high-profile dealings, the America's Cup, and founding Bond University.
• Alan Arkin — Historical peer (Died in 2023) (2023): Esteemed American actor, filmmaker, and musician with a seven-decade career.
• 1941 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1941
• January 9 (01-09) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on January 9