As our country’s greatest observer, Alexis de Tocqueville, noted many years ago, Americans’ genius for civic organization has been, historically, our greatest asset. Civic associations mediate between the lonely crowd of individuals and the faceless efficiency (or inefficiency) of bureaucracies and corporations. In doing so, they give people voice and agency, build social buffers against tyranny and anarchy, and create bonds of friendship and mutual support.
Source: latimes.com – Los Angeles Times