AIM Framework glossary
Social Capital Decomposition Principle
Canonical definition
The Social Capital Decomposition Principle states that what is conventionally called social capital is a composite of two structurally distinct components with opposite effects on cascade dynamics. The first is the A-I Buffer: genuine trust, cooperation, mutual aid, shared I-engagement and the institutional arrangements that sustain them. The A-I Buffer resists cascade dynamics. The second is Mimetic Premium held as Status position, network power and reputational leverage. This component is the extraction mechanism of the Unidirectional PM Flow Principle and is itself part of the crisis architecture. The Subcriticality Threshold is therefore sensitive to A-I Buffer depth specifically, not to social capital as a composite. A society high in aggregate social capital but with extreme PM-concentration can carry less crisis-resistance than a society lower in aggregate social capital with a deeper A-I Buffer.
Explanation
"Social capital" names two things at once: the trust that protects a society, and the standing and connections that extract from it. Measured together they can look healthy while the protective part is being drained, so a society rich in social capital can be closer to crisis than one that looks poorer.
Epistemic status
Framework-Specific Principle.