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Cliometrics Of Freemasonry, Paul J. Rich

Paul J. Rich

Attention to the membership statistics of fraternal groups has been given much importance because of the use of such figures by Robert Putnam and others in their contributions to the so-called Bowling Alone debate over the alleged delcine of American associationalism. The subject is much more obtuse and complex than has been appreciated, and this paper touches on what could be the focus of many doctoral theses.